


An Unspeakable Investigation

by acautionarytale



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bellamione - Freeform, Bellamione Cult War, Criminal Investigation, Discord: Bellamione Cult, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Past Sexual Assault, Teachers, Team Tea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2020-12-09 16:15:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 47,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20997674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acautionarytale/pseuds/acautionarytale
Summary: After a failed investigation by the Aurors, a distraught mother begs the Headmistress of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall for her help getting justice for her daughter. Minerva turns to the Head of the Department of Mysteries, the Golden Girl, Hermione Granger, for help and they form a scheme to root out the evil that lurks the corridors of Hogwarts. Ex-Auror Bellatrix Black has no interest in seeing the Ministry  interfering in her school and hates the new Professor from the Ministry evaluating the teachers on principle. Will they find a way to find common ground?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [quillghost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quillghost/gifts).

> Thanks to Erazon for being an amazing beta even on opposite sides of a war

Minerva McGonagall sipped her tea slowly as devastation and despair incarnate told her the story of a lost daughter. Listening had always been her strong suit, but listening to a woman that just lost her daughter broke her heart. She knew that suicide was especially devastating on the survivors. They took on all the blame for not noticing or not doing enough. It already weighed heavily on her.

The woman in front of her had been a single mom and her daughter, her only child, had been her life. A child she herself had seen fit to graduate just two months prior. She hadn’t noticed anything either. Her heart twisted as she listened to the sad tale the woman spun. 

Minerva had heard the sad news about her daughter’s death, but didn’t expect this. The small pile of journals on her desk detailed the girl’s years at Hogwarts. The one on top was from her last year. Her mother had discovered some deeply disturbing information in the journal and after presenting them to the Aurors, had eventually been turned away. 

Their meager investigation had ended with them telling the mother that her daughter must have suffered delusions. They hadn’t even contacted her with the accusations even though the supposed transgressions happened at her school and under her watch. She should have been informed, but then again perhaps a girl killing herself didn’t warrant much to them. The accusations were so serious that no matter what they thought she should have been informed.

Abuse at Hogwarts. The thought made her ill. She would like to trust the Auror Department, but they hadn’t even brought the accusation to her. What kind of investigation left her out? 

The woman in front of her simply asked her to look at the journals and form her own opinion. She didn’t ask any more of her. She had tried and this was her last ditch attempt to do something for the daughter she thought she hadn’t done enough for. Minerva promised her she’d read them.

Once the woman had left, Minerva settled into the journals. Samantha had kept a journal for every year at Hogwarts, but her mum only left her the last three years. She wanted to show Minerva the difference between the years. 

She read through them quickly. The last year clearly established a pattern of abuse. It didn’t feel faked. It told a story of sexual abuse and random periods of blocked and altered memories. The girl guessed Obliviate, but she was so confused. No names were mentioned, but the perpetrator was a professor. 

By the end of the year, the girl had fallen into a deep depression. At her lowest, the girl had gone to a female professor and told them the truth and asked for help. The professor had told her to put it behind her and move on. It had left her completely hopeless. She barely lasted a week out of school. 

Minerva’s heart broke. She believed the girl and now knew she had a threat in her school. Clearly the DMLE would be no help. They’d had the journals first and had done nothing with them. An idea began to form; if they wouldn’t listen to her, she knew there was at least one person she could could count on to follow up on this.

XXXXXXX

Hermione shuffled the papers around on her desk. Minerva had requested a last minute meeting with some urgency and she immediately had her assistant carve out time for her that very day. As her former mentor, the Hogwarts Headmistress took precedent to all her projects and she had a lot of projects. The Department of Mysteries didn’t run itself. 

Her assistant led the woman in and they politely greeted each other. They stared each other down for a moment then they both grinned and hugged. When they released, Hermione spotted the grave look in her former professor’s eye. She knew a requested meeting would have to be serious, but she didn’t like that look. Hermione tossed her head back and shrugged before settling into her chair.

Before she could even offer tea, Minerva brought out some books and placed them on her desk. “I want you to read these. It’s of the upmost importance. My students are in danger.”

“Hogwarts is threatened?” Hermione asked, sitting straighter. “Why come to me and not the Aurors?”

“They already decided that this isn’t their problem. They didn’t even tell me about the accusations.”

Minerva explained what Samatha’s mother had said to her and gave a brief overview of what she’d found in the journals. 

“Even the suspicion of something like this should have led to a full in depth inquiry,” Hermione said, picking up one of the journals.

“But it hasn’t and won’t without your help. Even after I learned about the accusations, they refused to listen to me. I had no new evidence and they weren’t interested in taking the word of a young girl that killed herself. They told me that it showed clear signs of mental disorder and they’d already investigated the situation as far as they were willing to go.”

“They were also probably embarrassed they never said anything to you so it needed to die even with your concerns. They probably hoped you would either let it die or investigate on your own. They didn’t tell you to drop it, did they?”

“Not officially, but I think they realized that I won’t let it drop even if they make it official. Especially, since I’m fairly sure it’s going to continue with a new victim this coming year. The abuse seemed to well thought out and organized. He’s done this before.”

“I’ll need to review these before I can commit to anything,” Hermione said, picking up one of the journals. 

“I completely understand.”

Hermione straightened at her desk. “I’m glad you brought it to my attention. I won’t sleep on it.” She hesitated, “Let me make you copies. You’re making me worried. I think as many copies we have safe the better. We can keep the originals here in my office. The warding is intense, as I’m sure you can imagine. Much better than they had during my 5th year.” 

They both smiled. “Let me have someone bring us some tea.” The Headmistress faintly nodded her acceptance and Hermione called for some tea to be brought for them. Her assistant was prepared for the request and had it ready for her.

Hermione poured them each a cup of tea. “Shall we discuss how we would move forward if I took this on? I expect you want me or someone from my department in Hogwarts for the coming year. I know you don’t have any open faculty positions. Knowing your efficiency, you would have them filled already. School starts soon.”

Minerva smiled. “You are right, of course. I don’t have any positions open. However, I’ve been both Headmistress and Transfiguration teacher for quite a few years. No one would be surprised to hear I hired a Transfiguration teacher for a year to take a bit of a breather or that you might be interested in doing me a favor. That article you recently had in Transfiguration Today works in our favor.”

Hermione leaned back in her chair as she mulled over the idea. Minerva had clearly given it a lot of thought. It was smart, but, of course, it would be coming from Minerva. 

“I would have to convince the Minister that Hogwarts needs an evaluation and get the Board of Governors on board if I’m to be investigating the teachers,” Hermione thought aloud. 

Minerva smirked. “Don’t worry about the Board of Governors. I have that covered and it's you so it's a given with you involved. ”

“The Minister shouldn’t be too hard since I’ll already be there and so while it would still be a temporary leave of absence from my Department, I’d still be working for the Ministry and under their guidance.”

“Will you tell him?” Minerva trailed off. 

Taking a moment, Hermione took a breath and thought about the ramifications of telling him. She trusted the Minister, but she worried about how quickly the investigation had been shut down. 

“I’m not sure. He might already know,” she said, looking away. “I’m going to do a bit of looking into the investigation before I divulge anything. I’ll let you know either way what I decide.”

“Will you tell Harry?”

Hermione snorted. “If he knows anything about the allegations, he’ll know immediately why I’m returning to Hogwarts. Same with Ron probably. I’ll probably ask them for help with the Aurors anyway. They’re a handy shortcut into the Department.”

Minerva nodded. She understood how close they all were, they would have to be after all they experienced together. 

“I’ll leave you to it then. Let me know when you make your decision,” Minerva said, rising. She had a lot to do back at Hogwarts. 

Hermione stood as well. “I’m in. I trust you. If it does all turn out to be some girl’s delusions, no harm done and I can leave after the year or earlier. Please send me all of Samantha’s records. I can review further and go more in depth when I get there. I’d like to see if I can find any other oddities during prior years such as girls that suddenly did poorly their last year.”

The Headmistress smiled. “I knew I could count on you.”

“Always.”

XXXXXX

“So, McGonagall asked me for help investigating something that happened to a former student. Samantha Morris. She told me that you guys dismissed it. Do either of you know about it? I want to look over the case file if I can.”

“Sure, I know the case,” Ron said.”It was one of mine.”

“Seriously, Ronald?” Hermione stared at the Auror. They were at their regular booth at the Leaky Cauldron. “I can’t believe you.”

“I did my due diligence.” 

“This is way more serious than just due diligence. Did you bring it up to your superiors?”

“I didn’t need to.” 

“Why didn’t you bring it up to Minerva?” Hermione asked. She’d never imagined that he would hold anything back from her, but suddenly she was unsure and worried. “Did you even mention Hogwarts in your reports?”

“What is going on? Who is Samantha Morris?”

“That suicide case I had a few weeks ago,” Ron said, leaning back.

Harry nodded remembering it vaguely. “Wait.” He studied Ron’s face. “What’s happening at Hogwarts?” Harry demanded. Hermione knew how he felt. Hogwarts hadn’t ever really been a safe place, but it was the most magical and they both hated seeing the place corrupted in any way. 

“She accused a Hogwarts Professor of sexual assault in her journals. Did he not tell you that?”

“What?” Harry looked as upset as she felt. “Ron?’

“Hermione!” Ron’s voice lowered as he looked at Harry, “She wasn’t well. Samantha was ill.” He frowned looking over to Hermione. “I interviewed the male professors and I talked to her friends. She lost it that last year of Hogwarts. Completely delusional. It wasn’t real. She made it all up.”

“Regardless of what you think, you gave up after a month and never informed Minerva.”

“I didn’t give up,” he said “and I was told not to inform her.”

Hermione blanched. “What? She deserved to know about the accusation. Who would ask that of you?” 

“Not inform McGonagall? Are they out of their minds?” Harry near shouted. “Who told you to do that?”

“I can’t tell you.” Ron’s head hung over his firewhiskey. He looked up, with hope in his eyes. “But guys you should trust me! You know I wouldn’t just blow an investigation.”

Harry couldn’t imagine anyone in his Department being okay with not telling McGonagall about the allegations. His mind quickly thought over everyone in the Department. He could think of a few assholes Ron had worked with, but none with enough authority to order him to stay quiet. 

Ron could have covered it up on his own at the request of this random mystery person with influence from those douchebags. He needed access to the file, but since the case was of a sensitive nature, he didn’t know if he could actually get his hands on it. The fact he’d not heard a single word about the case made him wonder how much would even be in the file.

Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry laid his hand on her shoulder. She understood secrecy. She was an Unspeakable. Their Department might hide certain bad things, but it was always with the intention of stopping those things.

“‘Mione, trust me just drop it. The girl wasn’t stable. She killed herself after all.”

Her knuckles turned white against her glass. “Ronald,” she sighed. “You know I’m not going to stop. Minerva asked for my help and I trust her and believe that girl.”

She could see that Harry believed her as well, and Ron had disappointed both of them. She wondered who had gotten to Ron and if the perpetrator could have been involved. Ron might even already know who had done it. As an Auror, he should know men like the one described in the journals wouldn’t stop at one.

Harry and Hermione were on the same wavelength and looked at each other, both feeling rather unsettled. Something was really off here.

With a quick movement, Ron tossed back his firewhiskey. “You trust her over me?” he asked. “After all we’ve been through?”

“That’s a cheap shot,” Harry said, with a hint of anger in his voice. “We’ve know McGonagall just as long.”

“And respected her longer,” Hermione muttered. Harry nudged her shoulder. “Sorry,” she murmured. “I do love you Ron. It’s just… it’s McGonagall you are asking me to go against.” She sighed. “And you are asking me to just assume a young girl went crazy and killed herself out of nowhere instead of a year of abuse driving her to it. You read the journals, too.””

Ron ignored her and signaled the server for another drink. A waiter hurried over with a new firewhiskey for him, no one kept the Golden Trio waiting. He grasped it gratefully and took a sip. “I didn’t go to McGonagall because I thought she’d be biased.”

“You know the perpetrator, don’t you?” Hermione stated coolly. 

“You assume there is a perpetrator,” Ron snarked back.

Harry and Hermione shared a look. He mostly likely knew and they knew it. Ron seemed to see it this time and he eyed both of them warily. 

“I’ll let you know when I find out,” Hermione said.

Ron snorted. “And how are you planning to do that?”

She looked him up and down. “I’m going to be teaching at Hogwarts this year.”

Ron groaned. “I’ve already interviewed them. You won’t find anything new.”

Hermione knew Harry was seconds from exploding. To be honest, she was too. Her hand found Harry’s and she squeezed tight in warning. They needed evidence and a lot of it to prove the case even if Ron simply knew. They knew he probably believed a false story and they needed evidence to refute that story. It hurt and frightened them both a bit that Ron didn’t trust them as much as he trusted this unknown professor or source. Neither could understand it.

XXXXXXX

The Minister had been receptive to her idea of evaluating Hogwarts while taking a year away from the actual Ministry. After she’d gotten approval, she decided to mention her ‘side project’. Kingsley’s reaction to the fact he’d hadn’t been informed that there should be an investigation to begin with pleased her. It took some convincing to keep him from censuring Ron, but he recognized it would only hurt her investigation. 

As she laid in bed that night, she wondered if a censure would have gotten him to confess what he knew. Sexual assault though… she needed evidence. There would be no way this man would get away with any of his deeds. Minerva and her would never allow it. 

If she was honest with herself, she wanted to catch the damn teacher that knew and didn’t report it, almost as much as catching the perpetrator. What woman would say that to a child? Women should be there for each other. A professor should be one of the safest people in a child’s life and two of them failed Samantha.

She rolled over and sighed. Crookshanks would probably enjoy the return to Hogwarts and the chance to mess with the students. This time they could explore together. He was purring at the end of her bed. Losing her own very personal space to put herself back into Hogwarts again and god… _teaching_. 

Teaching shouldn’t be too hard. Being a Know-it-all, she’s been faux teaching since she was a child and she imagine running a Department as big as hers would be similar to running a classroom. Well, she hoped.

Her shoulder ached from an old injury and she rolled again as her mind ran through all the possible implications. Her head fell back against the pillow. She should have taken a sleeping draught, she knew she wouldn’t get much sleep.

The information she’d gotten about the investigation made her stomach roil. Ron had been her friend for so long and if he’d changed that much… Harry probably hit Ginny up when he got home about Ron. She wondered if talking to George would be worth it. She wanted to know what was going on with Ron as soon as possible.

Hermione rolled over again and sighed. It was honestly best left to Harry to figure it out. As an Auror, he had the in, but she was worried Ron would spread news about Harry’s suspicion. It would be harder for her though, she didn’t have any camaraderie with the Aurors. They didn’t think all that highly of the Unspeakables even if she used to work with them many years ago.

She groaned into her pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning she owled Minerva and made arrangements for her tenure at Hogwarts. Her Department was a well oiled machine and could last without her in attendance full time for a least a year. She wouldn’t be off the grid at Hogwarts so any questions or problems could be quickly addressed. Approval for new research could go through her second in command. She trusted the older woman to come to her with anything extraordinary.

Her second in command had no interest in taking her position so she didn’t have to worry about that either, but the woman could definitely do the job. She hated the politics of it all when Hermione enjoyed smacking people down with political know how. Nan had been with the Department of Mysteries for nearly twenty years. Hermione had quickly spotted her competence while evaluating the Department and convinced her to step in the role of her second. It only took convincing her that she wouldn’t have to deal with the politics. 

Hermione had picked a younger man that loved the bureaucracy and insanity of politics to be her aide on those matters. He reminded her of Percy, but less obnoxious. The two of them had worked in tandem any time she had taken a vacation and had bonded. They actually started trying to mother her a bit, to her amusement and House Elf’s relief. 

The weeks before she was to arrive at Hogwarts, she spent interviewing the girl’s friends and family and forming a profile on the girl. Most of her friends had graduated so she wouldn’t be able to interact with them when the school year started. They said she had changed the last year, but they had chalked it all up to her being afraid of the future. That had been the excuse she always gave when they asked after her. They said she used to be a happy girl. 

The abuse had taken away her happiness and left her anxious and depressed. 

Her free House Elf, Twinkle had been overjoyed about her return to Hogwarts. Hermione had worried the school’s Elves would give her a hard time about being a free Elf, but Twinkle wasn’t worried. 

They arrived at the school together. Hermione had her trunks floating behind them. They were a week ahead of the students and therefore no one but Minerva was there to greet them. Most of the teachers hadn’t arrived yet. They usually didn’t arrive more than three days before the students. However, it was more common for them to portkey or Floo unlike Lupin. Neville would probably be up earlier to set up the greenhouse with the new plants he’d procured.

Hermione used the time to assess the situation. She had a mountain of paperwork to read through, and Minerva had given her open access to the records. She needed to get the drop on the other teachers. 

Once the rest arrived, she planned to keep a low profile until the Welcoming Ceremony. She thought it would be good to get their reactions to her presence in front of an audience. The Marauder’s Map would help her with that. It also didn’t hurt that her animagus form had turned out to be unassuming. 

Minerva had provided her rooms to her specifications and she immediately started to ward her study while Twinkle started to unpack her trunks. Her study needed to be impenetrable. She started with a blood ward, but didn’t stop with that. Being a teacher of first years meant she would probably bleed at some point this year and she wouldn’t put it past the perpetrator to find a way to get her blood. She added a fingerprint ward and a password, as well as a shit ton of other wards that would freeze people in their spots. She didn’t add any dangerous ones, because students.

She set up a board with all the male teachers and another one for the female teachers. The board with the female teachers was a bit off to the side. There were some members of the staff she couldn’t imagine doing such things, but their names were added to the lists anyway. She hated writing in Neville and Luna. The only name left off the list had been Minerva’s. She’d even included Pomfrey, to her consternation, even though she wasn’t a teacher. A girl would be likely to consult with the nurse over something of this nature and she did teach some healing magic to students.

The female teacher couldn’t be her focus because she didn’t really have anything to charge them with. Her best hope was bringing them in front of the disciplinary board. Secretly, she hoped the woman would interfere with the investigation so she could charge them with that. She was angry that the girl could have gotten help and had been turned away.

She knew she’d have to be especially careful with how she worked the investigation. Her plan was rather simple, but good. Unfortunately for it to work, things would have to move slower than she’d like. First, she had to gain the trust of the students and put the teachers on guard. The teachers needed to think she was evaluating their teaching methods, not their interpersonal relationships with students, at least at first. 

She sincerely hoped that her presence would put the man off finding a new victim, but she was prepared if not. In all reality, he’d probably picked his victim last year and had been planning what he’d do to her all summer. She looked forward to crushing his plans. He would not get his hands on a single student this year.

XXXXXXXXX

A young woman took a seat on the opposite side of McGonagall from her. There hadn’t been any notice about a new teacher and none of the other teachers were missing. Bellatrix immediately found herself staring and taking in the lines of her face. She felt familiar. Bellatrix knew she knew the woman. Determination and strength radiated off her in a way she knew she’d seen before.

“Minerva?” she demanded, trying to gain her attention.

McGonagall smiled, but looked out to the students and not back at her. Even though she sat a few seats away and had Lovegood and another teacher between them she knew Minerva had ignored her on purpose. Her wand fell into her hand and she was tempted to force the Headmistress to pay attention to her when she simply turned to the Lovegood girl. Just when she was going to ask her if she knew anything, bloody Longbottom led the first years in. The god awful hat sang a mostly normal song, but added a bit about trust.

Bellatrix returned her attention back to the young woman trying to understand where she fit in. The brunette felt her eyes on her and proceeded to stare her down with a little smirk. As she looked into the woman’s eyes, it occurred to her. The Department of Mysteries. She was on the law side of Magical Law Enforcement when Bella had been there until she left for DoM. Oh god. The Golden Trio. She was the brains. The fuck was she doing here?

Granger seemed to spot the moment she realized because her smile grew wider. It had been years since she’d seen the girl. The years had been kind to her, Bella noticed appreciatively and found herself curious about the girl herself instead of just why she was here.

She frowned. It didn’t matter. The girl was Ministry and Bellatrix had long ago lost faith in the Ministry. She had left for a reason. She glared at the hat as Longbottom called the name of the first. Trust, indeed. 

Her eyes kept finding the Granger girl’s throughout the sorting. Occasionally, the girl would cheekily mouth a guess. The accuracy of her guesses unnerved her, but that was clearly the point. Wouldn’t make a good Unspeakable if she didn’t freak people out a bit.

After the sorting finished, Minerva gave a quick speech welcoming the students, but strangely stepped aside to let apparently the new Transfiguration teacher have her say.

She couldn’t help, but mutter, “The Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts.” The other professors heard it. She could see some of them look confused at her words. Granger must have heard her as well and inclined her head to her before stepping up to the podium. 

When Minerva had introduced Granger, the room had erupted, but Minerva had quieted them. Now they all sat forward watching the girl, nearly vibrating with excitement. They knew her and she knew it, working them with a skill that surprised Bellatrix. She’d lived quietly and avoided the paparazzi better than the boys. A few years after the war, she put out a book. She told the story, but also outlined her beliefs quite clearly. Bella had thought it was a great ploy for someone with plans to be Minister.

It had been ten years since the war and she’d become a muggle-born legend. A living legend in general. She was in history books already and would be for the next few hundred years. Brightest witch of her age. 

Bellatrix had that title back in her day. It annoyed the woman that people assumed her age had passed. The girl may have been written in modern history books and would be written about in all the ones about the modern times, but so would she.

“Students.” Her head lowered. “I never imagined I’d be standing here in front of you.” She lifted her head. “If you are a muggle-born first year, you don’t know me and are probably confused as to why any of your other students care about me. That’s okay. As someone that also sat on those benches as a muggle-born first year, I remember the excitement and the confusion.

“I had no idea what the wizarding world would show me or turn me into. I became a hero, so that’s what the other students that are going to become your friends know me as. But honestly, I was barely 18 and had no idea. I was scared and did my best. I don’t want any of you to see me as some mythological hero of old. I am a person the same as all of you. This year I am here to be your teacher, but I am, also, going to be evaluating the methods of your teachers. I am not evaluating you outside of my own classes.” She looked back and gestured back at the teachers. 

“I’m evaluating them and how they are teaching you. Any concerns, I want you to understand you can bring to me. I’m not Dolores Umbridge. You won’t remember her, but I’m sure some of you have heard the stories. Yes, I am from the Ministry, but I’m here for you. Not for the Ministry or for the school. I’m here for the students. You matter. I am here for you. For those that do know me and I can tell a lot of you do. Spread the word. Remember S.P.E.W. even if it could be counted as an embarrassing moment in my life. I’m still proud I tried. I want you all to know Professor Hermione Granger does not stand for inequality or injustice or abuse in any form. Good luck with your start of term.” Hermione smiled and nodded. The students ate it up, clapping loudly as she sat down and the food appeared on the table.

Minerva smiled as Hermione took her seat to the applause of the students. It gave her hope.

XXXXXXX

Hermione could feel all the eyes on her. Professor Black’s eyes felt extra heavy, which she found a bit curious. She remembered her from her days as an elite Auror back when she worked for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The woman had ignored her. It had been refreshing. Being a part of the Golden Trio didn’t often lead to that kind of treatment. Harry had liked it too, but it had always annoyed Ron. It had been amusing toying with her during the sorting, but after her speech she focused on her meal.

She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Trelawney was staring at her, too. A lot of people were staring really, but she was well used to it. Hermione still held on to the bitterness of the Professor calling her mind hopelessly mundane. The bespectacled woman most likely felt worried about her evaluation, since everyone knew her low opinion of Divination and especially the teacher.

Students surrounded her as soon as the feast was finished. She paid them court and listened to their concerns. Some were so ridiculous, she barely kept a straight face. She finally made her excuses as the prefects called for the houses. 

Her introduction had been a success. 

Hermione moved off to her rooms, taking a side passage. She didn’t notice, immediately, the woman in the shadows. She had to give credit to the ex-Auror. She seemed born to the shadows and had the smarts to accurately predict the path Hermione would likely take.

Bellatrix cornered her and pushed her against the wall with her wand drawn. “You are an Unspeakable.” Hermione couldn’t help but laugh right in her face. Her wand had slipped into her hand and was pointed at the woman’s abdomen.

“So?” Hermione responded. The DADA teacher stared her down before pressing her harder against the wall with her body. Her eyes widened when she felt the wand press into her abdomen.

“So?” Bellatrix asked, leaning forward. “You don’t belong here.”

Hermione let out another laugh. Her eyes drifted to Bellatrix’s lips. They were full and magnificent and beautiful. She couldn’t help remember watching her strut around when she had been the fiercest Auror in the Department. She had only gotten away with it because they woman didn’t pay her any mind at all. Any attention given to any one else would have led to gossip. The Daily Prophet paid quite well for gossip about her even now.

She looked up and met the fierce professor’s eyes. “I may not belong, but I was asked.”

“Why are you at Hogwarts?” Bellatrix demanded. “Why were you asked?”

“I am here to assess Hogwarts’ curriculum, and as a favor to Minerva. She wanted a break and the Ministry thought it was the perfect excuse for an evaluation.” Hermione said, not breaking the stare off.

“Bullshit. Like I’d believe Minerva wanted a break. Complete bollocks. That woman wouldn’t take a break without reason.” Bellatrix searched her face. Her eyes lingered on Hermione’s lips and Hermione saw it. “Why now? What is wrong with Hogwarts?” she asked, breathing in the other Professor’s air.

“As you helpfully pointed out, I am an Unspeakable. It’s in the name,” snarked Hermione, pressing forward ever so slightly into Professor Black, enjoying the press of the corset a little too much.

“So, there’s something unspeakable happening at Hogwarts?” Bellatrix questioned, leaning into her as well. It stoked a bit of heat in both of them which both immediately shoved down. Both ignoring the sudden ‘oh shit’ moment of it all. 

Hermione smiled, innocently; you didn’t become an Unspeakable without having some aptitude for subterfuge. The DADA teacher wasn’t having it though. 

“I will figure out what you are doing here,” said the ex-Auror, before shoving her against the wall and storming away. Hermione’s eyes followed her movements almost helplessly. 

Hermione fell back into the wall after the witch disappeared around a corner. She couldn’t help but laugh again. The warmth in her stomach and well, the dampness in her underwear made her shake her head. 

Her head fell back against the wall. Of course she would develop a seriously inappropriate crush on an older woman during an investigation. Not that it had ever happened before at work, but she did like her women older. God, that woman checked all the things she liked. Unfortunately, very off limits and that negated every one of those check marks.

She pushed off the wall and smiled. Well, she had her first task. Clear Bellatrix Black. Better to have an ex-Auror on your side then against. She shook her head, it was at the top of the list anyway. The journals mentioned extra detentions with Black that final year, and her disciplinary records also showed that detentions with Black tripled in number that last year.

Minerva had given her the disciplinary records to scour and she’d been studying them carefully. Honestly, Bellatrix’s reaction made her look guilty as hell and even if she found the the Ministry problematic, it was over the top. The Ministry had a lot of problems and she’d often felt very separated from the rest of the them even as Head of the Department of Mysteries. It was part of her list of things she’d work to change given the power.

Only one other Professor thought it necessary to stop her other than her former teachers. A pompous Ravenclaw, now Head of his House, Roger Davies. She vaguely remembered him, as he had been in her year. His welcome felt a bit strange and vaguely reminded her of Lockhart.

It did raise suspicion though. There were only so many male teachers and the perpetrator must be worried since Ron did go around talking to them. Stupid to introduce themselves to her though. She doubted the infamous Bellatrix Black would be stupid enough to reveal her hand.

Neville and Luna were waiting at her door with huge grins and bottles of liquor. She laughed and shook her head at them, but led them into her room. She quickly found glasses and took her place across from them. 

“We have classes tomorrow,” she said, taking a sip. They looked at each other and laughed.

“Hermione, all our teachers were hungover when we started each year. Why do you think they were so harsh?” Neville said, smiling, touching her arm and reminding her of the soft faced boy he used to be.

Luna still had a dreamy look about her, but she’d grown up, too, as clearly evidenced by the liquor in her hand. “Why do you think Snape was always exceptionally dreadful the first day?”

Neville nodded. “We are keeping you from Madam Hooch’s Welcome Back party. Last year, Black left Hooch on the roof for the whole night.”

“All the Professors go and get shit faced. The first day is always recaps and nothing really dangerous so they indulge. It was a shock the first year of teaching,” Luna said, serenely. “Flitwick drunk was spectacular.”

“Minerva?” Hermione asked, looking scandalized that the Headmistress would get drunk at work. 

“Oh, she shows, but I’ve only seen her tipsy like once and she was still trying to corral the teachers,” Neville laughed. “Flitwick told me before she became Headmistress she would take part. Black has been trying to get her wasted every year. Hasn’t really worked from what I’ve seen.”

“She usually gets Hooch off the roof,” Luna said, tossing back her drink. “Black somehow always gets her up there.”

“Why am I not invited to witness this glorious mess of teachers?” Hermione asked, drinking a bit more liberally. 

Luna and Neville looked at each other. Luna shrugged and Neville leaned back. Even though they were not dating they read each other just as well. 

Luna smiled at her. “You declared war on the faculty. We didn’t think it would be good to put you into an alcohol induced environment with them.”

“Especially Black,” Neville said.

Hermione tossed back her drink. “Might have been useful to me though. You don’t know why I am here. I, obviously, made the faculty an enemy for a reason. Seeing them all stupid…”

Luna smiled and Neville just looked awkward. He leaned on his knees, “Sorry. Thought we were helping. We could always head up later when we know they are all shitfaced.”

Hermione shook her head. “It’s okay. You don’t know why I am here. While I am tempted to read you in, I’d prefer for the moment to keep it quiet. I don’t want the students to think I’m playing favorites with my friends.” She smiled. “Professor Black would be on you like a viper if she thought you knew, as well. Probably still go after you anyway since we are the only teachers not there.”

They both paled as she refilled their drinks and her own. “Healthy dose of fear for her?” Hermione asked. 

Luna laughed as Neville just hung his head. “She doesn’t scare me like she scares Neville.”

He shook his head, but said, “She was there trying to save my parents. She saw. It just messes with me.” Luna put her arm around his shoulder. “Gran always said that she was the one that handed me over to her.” 

Hermione leaned forward and put a hand on his knee. She lifted her glass. “To the Longbottoms.” They clanked their glasses together.

After a minute of silence, she tossed out, “She tried to put the fear of god in me tonight.”

“Black?” Luna asked.

She nodded, smiling into her drink. She missed her friends. They were busy during the school year and she was always busy. She only managed to see them a few times during the summer and holidays, though they kept up a healthy correspondence. A Herbologist of Neville’s stature and Luna’s impressive understanding of magical creatures had been extremely useful for her work. Also, they were family. Not perhaps at the level of Harry and Ron, but still. 

“Seriously? She tried to intimidate you of all people.” 

They all laughed. Put the fear of god in the Head of the Department of Mysteries… Not that she told them anything about her job. She had hunted and destroyed Horcruxes for a year… what a joke. They knew Hermione had seen more than any of them. Hermione shook her head. 

“She tried,” she said with a smirk.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cheers to Erazon for being my beta and being amazing

Surprisingly, Hermione loved the first years. She started the lesson the same way as her mentor. Ridiculously enough, she was also a cat. She sat on the desk in her cat form. She enjoyed startling them, but kept her face just as serious as McGonagall had when she transformed back. 

She overheard a Slytherin mumble, with an eye roll, “Gryffindors, really.” Hermione smiled at him and it startled the little black haired boy. He looked like he expected to get in trouble for being snarky.

“Draco Malfoy said the same thing to me when he found out I had registered as a cat,” Hermione said, still smiling. Quite a few mouths fell open at that. Muggleborns looked at each other confused. The houses didn’t seem as divided as they used to be, but Muggleborns were still uneducated before they got in. She smiled indulgently at them. 

Someday she hoped to have enough power to make it so they were provided with tutors or something the summer before their first year at Hogwarts. The fact that most of them entered Hogwarts blithely unaware of Wizarding culture and history had contributed in part to the Pureblood ideology that Muggleborns were all ignorant. Their children saw it firsthand when the Muggleborns didn’t know things as simple as the tales of Beedle the Bard. 

“I’m not your History of Magic teacher, but I always thought it unfair that the Muggleborns and some of the Half Bloods aren’t given a bit of a brief of the relatively recent happenings in our world before they attend.” 

She looked at some of the students she recognized as purebloods. “Could you imagine going to a Muggle boarding school and dealing with their technology?`” Their eyes widened a bit and they glanced at their Muggleborn counterparts with a touch more respect. Technology in the Muggle world had been advancing rapidly over the last few years and trickling into the Wizarding World much faster as more wards were being developed to keep magic from affecting Muggle tech. She had a whole section of her Department dedicated to it and had been thinking about approaching Minerva about testing in Hogwarts. If they could work in a place as saturated in Magic as Hogwarts

“There have been two Wizarding Wars over the last 60 years. Draco Malfoy and I were on opposite sides of the last one. He was a Slytherin,” she said, looking at the boy who rolled his eyes at her. “And a pure blood wizard. If you didn’t know, I am Muggleborn and a Gryffindor. During my years here, he hated me for the former and probably a bit for the latter as well. Us Gryffindors can be a bit impetuous.” She smiled again. “He insulted my blood status once and I punched him in the face.” The Slytherins looked shocked, but slightly amused. She was grateful his son was too young to attend, yet. 

“I can’t say we are friends now, but times change and he’s quite funny. His mother saved my best friend and he chose to help us, too. The war ended and I think where we are at now is clearly better. I think some good natured teasing between houses is to be expected and can be fun as long as it stays good natured. We don’t have to hate each other, as the Wizarding World has learned. I would have been just as amused if I found out Professor Black’s animagus was a viper.” That earned her some laughs.

“Anyway, enough about the past. I just used a word some of you know and some don’t. Anyone care to explain what an animagus is?” She asked, pleased to see hands shoot into the air.

She called a Slytherin and he laughed and said his Slytherin grandmother actually was a viper. 

“Grandmothers often are,” she replied, laughing too. 

After that, she moved onto the branches of Transfigurations and quills scratched at parchment as the chalkboard behind her filled with the information she lectured about. The questions they asked were fun and refreshing. She demonstrated each and transformed her desk into a pig just like McGonagall did when she was a first year. She was feeling more nostalgic than she thought. At the end of the lecture, she assigned them a short essay about the types of Transfiguration.

XXXXXXX

As much as she wanted to make surprise evaluations, being here officially required her to inform the Professors of her visits. In some ways, Hermione thought it would be good for the professors to prepare. She thought it would make them more obvious, especially to the older students.

She chose Professor Black to be her first. Samantha’s disciplinary records showed that her detentions were all about homework assignments. The girl insisted in her journals that she had no idea about the assignments. She thought Black was picking on her, but then everyone else had the assignments finished. It made her feel crazy because it was only Black’s class. She started asking her classmates what the assignments were. She’d write them down in the journal and would forget sometimes anyway. Her friends had mentioned her forgetfulness.

Professor Black had been relentless and unforgiving… at first. Right before the Christmas holiday, the Professor pulled her aside and offered her assistance, but Samantha had refused. Something about the detentions had put her off Professor Black. Her memory had been altered. How many times? Hermione couldn’t know and didn’t like it. Young minds should never be touched with mind magic. 

Hermione waited until a few students went into the classroom before she stepped in. She moved towards the back to be unintrusive. She thought about being obvious, but with Professor Black, she knew the woman would point her out. Other Professors, she’d put herself in the front, but she knew Black wouldn’t ignore her. It amused her to sit back knowing she’d be brought to attention. She wondered how the woman would do it.

The students filed in and finally the Professor slammed through the door in all her dark glory. Hermione almost expected her to be early knowing she’d be watching. It made sense that she’d be last minute if she wanted to unsettle Hermione. Honestly, all it did was make her chuckle. She knew the Auror playbook. She’d been tempted to follow it herself, but had a suspicion Black would pull the same move.

Hermione had a smile on her face when Professor Black looked at her. It threw the ex-Auror for a moment, but she recovered gracefully under the expectations of her 5th years. Hermione remembered her 5th year with some annoyance and some pride. Umbridge and Dumbledore’s army. She only knew the curriculum for a 5th year after looking at records, so she was rather excited to see it in action. After all, it was OWLs at the end of this year. She’d probably have to come back for that though since it was their first class of the year.

Professor Black launched into her recap of the year before. As expected, she made sure the students hadn’t forgotten everything over the summer. Hermione sat back watching the beautiful woman work, waiting for her to move onto the new stuff. She knew that was when Black would strike.

“All right, you lot haven’t forgotten everything I’ve taught you.” Her curls bounced off her shoulders and she blew a curl off her face. “It’s time for you to learn some more defensive spells. Who knows anything about Shield Charms?”

Hands were raised. Hermione enjoyed watching Black teach. She had a charisma that drew her students in. They had a healthy dose of fear, but weren’t afraid to ask questions or attempt to answer. If she were here simply evaluating the teaching methods, she’d already have passed her. Her students were learning. Even if Black occasionally made a rude remark, she never made it personal.

Shield charms were rather difficult. She knew grown wizards and witches who couldn’t cast one strong enough to block much more than a simple jinx. It’s one of the reasons Fred and George started putting them on their line of protective clothing. George didn’t really have much of a market for the clothes anymore, but he still sold them. She was proud to say hers had been known to knock people off their feet if she put enough power behind it, especially her Protego Maxima. Then again she practiced quite often and as Black informed her class, they were something you had to continue using to keep them strong.

Snape had made them learn in 6th year how to do them nonverbally. He really had been training them for war. Thoughts of the war distracted her and she nearly missed when Black moved to begin the practical part of the class.

As expected, she called for Hermione to help her with her demonstration. Cooing, “How lovely it is that we have someone with significant experience to show you how it’s done.”

Hermione snorted, but got up and went to the front of the classroom. She whispered, “I thought you were the one teaching today,” into the Professor’s ear as she moved passed her. She delighted in the small shudder she elicited. 

“I take it you want me to demonstrate the spell as you attack?” Hermione asked, drawing her wand. The Dragon Heartstring hummed pleasantly in her hand, almost knowing it had a true challenge in front of her. As much as she’d enjoy the challenge, she hoped the teacher would hold back or she’d have to reevaluate her judgment on the woman’s teaching skills.

“You know all the versions, don’t you? I heard you were a know it all.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Forming your opinions off the Daily Prophet now?”

“So you don’t know them all?” she asked, raising her eyebrow in challenge.

“I do, but I doubt you expect me to cast the Protego Horribilis or Protego Diabolica in your classroom.”

Black smiled and turned to her classroom. “Can anyone tell me about either of those spells?”

Books flipped open and the Ravenclaws looked alarmed. Black chuckled as she strolled down the aisles. “The last one won’t be in your books. Professor Granger, here, was simply proving my point about being an insufferable know it all.” 

Hermione rolled her eyes and sat herself on Black’s desk. 

“Protego Diabolica is a very dark spell. Gellert Grindelwald like to use it to weed out his enemies from his supporters. It creates a barrier of dark fire that incinerates the enemies of the caster from entering, but allows allies to enter unharmed. Protego Horribilis is the one the teachers of this school used to protect the school when they were under attack during the second Wizarding War. Neither would be of use in the classroom as I’m sure Professor Granger knew.” 

Hermione tilted her head. “You asked me if I knew them all. Your students benefit from knowing them all whether we show them or not.” Bellatrix barely managed not to grin at the insolent witch sitting on her desk. Hermione still caught the twitching of her lips. “Shall we show off the simple Protego or do you want to put me through my paces?” She glanced around the room. “I think outside might be better for that though. Well, at least for Protego Maxima.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t mention Protego Totalum,” Black said, moving back toward the front of the room.

“I figured we start simple and then move on to that. We could use your desk as practice,” she said, no doubt planting the idea she might accidentally let the woman’s spell slip through and destroy the desk covered in paper and knick knacks. A picture frame she couldn’t see had a prominent placement. 

The Ravenclaws were digging into their textbooks now reading everything they could while the Professors were talking so they could keep up.. Hermione caught them over Black’s shoulder and Black looked back to see what she was looking at. The Hufflepuffs were too interested in the debate to look in their books, but at her glance quickly opened their books. Bellatrix laughed. She hadn’t expected Granger to be this fun in her classroom. She almost wished she’d come back regularly. 

Bellatrix clapped her hands. “Fair enough, Granger. Let’s start with the basics. Verbally, of course.”

“Of course,” Hermione said, raising her wand.

“Books closed. I want you watching. You can’t get everything out of a book,” she said, looking back pointedly at the young Professor. Hermione just managed to avoid an eye roll. How often she’d heard that in her youth.

“Any hint of what you will be casting at me?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Black asked, smiling. She winked. “It will be verbal if that makes you feel better.”

It did slightly. She knew a few spells that really splashed against the shield charm and she knew it had to be one of those to show off the spell. She just wished she knew which one to gage how much strength to put behind her shield. She hated that it would be a split second decision, but whatever happened would be on Black. She didn’t want to embarrass the teacher, but she also didn’t want to be embarrassed herself. She hated to admit it, but she enjoyed the enigma of Bellatrix Black. Would she be gentle as a DADA instructor should be for the first strike or not? She didn’t know. It’s not like she expected a Cruciatus curse.

Black had the students stand and sent the desks and chairs back to give them room to demonstrate. Then she and Hermione took positions across from each other and bowed. They crossed their wands across their chests and took position. 

Hermione kept her wand steady. Black shouted out the Jelly Legs Jinx and she quickly moved her wand and calmly said, “Protego.” The jinx hit her shield and shattered. Black shifted and moved to cast again. She held the shield even when she could have let it drop. She almost wished she could attack the other Professor and force her to put up a shield of her own. Her wand hummed at the thought, but they were there to teach, not have fun.

Bellatrix shot off a few other minor curses and hexes. Her shield held. 

“Shall we show them another?” Black asked, her eyes glimmering with excitement. 

Hermione nodded. “Duo next?” 

Black grinned mischievously. “Protego Duo. Anyone know what it does?”

Hermione sighed. Protego Duo protected against physical projectiles as well as magical spells so she knew both would be flung at her. She knew at least a Bombarda would be coming at her all too soon. At least she could say she was prepared somewhat. She didn’t know how willing Black would be about destroying her classroom, but had a feeling the woman wouldn’t mind trashing it to have a go at her.

XXXXXXX

That afternoon at lunch, Black kept looking at her and smiling. Even with multiple people in between them she found it quite distracting. Neville noticed and found it funny. She’d given him an abbreviated version of her time with Professor Black. He thought it all hilarious as she picked mortar out of her hair. He justified it with ‘it’s not like you are a first year. She knew you could handle it.’ He insisted that she just be happy the woman didn’t put her against students and she knew he was probably right. Students made things explode. Black had tested her shields, but hadn’t pressed more than absolutely necessary except a little towards the end when she was getting tired. She actually seemed impressed, and there were no explosions beyond a few messy Bombardas. Didn’t make her more agreeable about it.

Most of the professors that weren’t her teacher at some point her were reticent about her. It was hard to believe her old teachers were capable of the disgusting acts she was investigating, but she still stayed a step back. They were still on her board, and she didn’t know all that happened at Hogwarts when she was a student. Slughorn had been the only one really close to the students, but not like that. He’d never put himself in the path of a scandal of that sort, but she still had someone tracking down the former Professor just in case.

She’d asked Luna and Neville not sit near her during dinner. She needed to assess the teachers she didn’t know well, reticent as they were. She was next to the new Potions Professor and still a bit grouchy and sore from the morning. 

Slughorn retired at the end of last year so the new Potions Master wasn’t on her list, which meant that she could relax a little, but then Black took the seat next to her. She loaded her plate without looking at the woman. Black did as well. They ate in silence, until Black finally muttered, when everyone else was engaged, “I’d have liked to see you cast Protego Horribilis. I think it would be a sight to see.”

“So you think I can?”

“I know you can. You know just as well as I do that I actually pushed the last few times. Your shield held even as tired as you must have been.” Bellatrix took a bite. When she swallowed she continued, “I thought it was impressive. I did plan to have you on your ass at least once today, but alas,” she said, with a dramatic sigh. 

“Do you think the Unspeakable are untrained? I know we project that idea, but you always seemed smarter than that.”

Bellatrix smirked. “Notice me then? Back in the day?” 

Hermione snorted. “Hard not to.” While they weren’t actually looking at each other, Hermione’s focus was clearly not on the students as they talked. “Thanks for not staring at me back then. I doubt you even cared or maybe even realized, but thanks anyway.”

“You stared enough for the both of us,” Black said. Hermione’s head snapped to look at her fully for the first time as her jaw dropped. She quickly snapped it shut. Bellatrix took another bite before shooting her a wolfish grin. She should have known the perceptive Auror would have noticed her ridiculous staring. 

She ran her hand across her face and shook her head. “Well, why wouldn’t I stare at the only one not staring at me?” she asked, trying to alleviate some of her embarrassment. 

“Well, I am considered quite attractive,” Black said, turning to look over at the girl… woman, enjoying the fresh blush that swept across her face. She really needed to stop thinking of Granger as a girl. She was a threat and as her eyes drifted over Granger, she knew that she was definitely a woman now.

“Maybe to some people,” Hermione snarked back, biting into her food like it had offended her.

Bellatrix smiled and waited until the woman looked back at her. “By some people, are you talking about yourself?” she asked, leaning slightly into her space and using her arm resting on the table to push her cleavage up even further. 

Granger’s eyes dropped down for a second before they darted away.

Bellatrix had almost forgotten about the bushy haired Golden Girl’s stares until she felt the girl’s… woman’s eyes on her in her classes today. It brought her back to the days after the war when she was on a constant high of bringing in the bad guys. A year in, the Golden Girl had come in and started changing the rules. It had been a huge ego boost to have the girl’s eyes on her. Such celebrity and with eyes only for her. Oh, she loved it.

Then the trials started. They were such a sham. Her sister and brother-in-law got off light. She didn’t want her sister or her nephew for that matter in that rathole, but her dirtbag husband should have have felt the despair of a dementor for a good while.

Hermione dropped her fork and stood suddenly. On reflex, Bellatrix stood as well. She’d look silly sitting back down so she followed Granger out of the Great Hall. She could only imagine the rumors it would cause after their morning together. It made her smile.

Granger turned on her as soon as they were out of sight of the students and her smile dropped slightly. “What are you trying to pull, following me out?”

“I’m not trying to pull anything. You go that way,” she said, gesturing awkwardly, “and I’ll go that way.”

“Our quarters are in the same direction,” Hermione pointed out. 

“Yes, but I have things to do that way,” she said, pointing.

Granger rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. “I thought you’d be a good liar, but wow that was pathetic. Are you heading to the Greenhouses? Or perhaps a stroll in the Forbidden Forest?”

Bellatrix sputtered for a moment, before conceding the point with a tilt of her head. Things to do that way. Merlin. The girl… woman was right. Merlin how hard was it to stop calling her girl. She opened her mouth to say something, before simply closing it.

“I’m not the girl that stared at you during your heyday as an Auror and I am not just some Unspeakable anymore. I am Head of the Department of Mysteries. Best remember I am not a girl anymore. I am a woman and I’m not someone to fuck with,” Hermione said, before turning and heading towards the Professor’s quarters.

Bellatrix fell back against the wall. Fucking Granger had broken past her mental wards. Well, shit.


	4. Chapter 4

Her next visit to Black’s class went much the same as the last. If a student hadn’t told her that Black always included a practical portion to her classes, she might have taken it personally since Black made sure to include her in her demonstrations. The student told her that Black always said it was to keep the wand as fresh as the mind. Hermione certainly respected that. 

Since their confrontation, the older woman had been avoiding eye contact. The last class she’d evaluated were 6th years so Black could get away with hitting her harder during the practical part of the class. When she came to see her with the 7th years, she was prepared for the professor to come at her strong, but Black went easy on her.

Until suddenly she didn’t, which really she should have expected. Hermione suddenly found herself lifted off her feet and slamming into the wall. Black rushed for her like knocking her on her ass onto the floor. 

Black leaned over her and hissed, “Leave my nephew’s name out of your mouth.”

Even on her ass and the wind knocked out of her, she let out a wheezy laugh in the woman’s face which she’s learned really pissed the woman off. “I thought I was quite generous towards your nephew. He’d laugh if I told him I told a bunch of firsties I punched him. Perhaps I should owl him.” She hoisted herself up, forcing the oth er woman back. “He grew up as we all did. Maybe you should give that a try.” 

It felt nice leaving Black speechless twice in a row. She imagined it a world record.

It didn’t take long for Black to respond. A few days later, her owl dropped her Daily Prophet and Transfiguration Today and a few stray letters. Twinkle would have collected her more private correspondence and work reports from her secret dropbox and left them on her desk.

Black had looked unreasonably happy over her breakfast and she realized why when she read the table of contents of the new Transfiguration Today. A rebuttal to her article written by none other than Professor Bellatrix Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Order of Merlin, second class. Hermione, spitefully, prided herself on her FIRST class distinction as she slapped the magazine shut without reading it. 

Without a glance at the other woman, she gathered her belongings and walked out with her head high. 

“Aw, I wanted her to read it here,” she heard Black say loudly as she walked out. Only years of bullying and paparazzi kept her back straight and face impassive as she left the Great Hall even as she desperately wished she could do to Black what she did to her nephew. Of all the petty things to do.

Thankfully on her office desk, she had the week’s work reports to read over before her first class of the day. She only made it through the Brain department’s report before she gave into her curiosity and read the article.

Of course, that cursed woman would be able to produce a scathing well written and researched article in a matter of days. Hermione still held to her belief that her article could help a lot more people than Black’s traditional bullshit. Black had used old well documented theorems, but she had used her work in the DoM. It made her look stupid and like a fraud. 

Her article had made note that it only generalized the process and that future articles would expand on the process. She’d planned a series of articles, but they got sidelined by this investigation. The drafts of which were in her desk back at the Ministry. She itched to have them and debated sending Twinkle to retrieve them to throw in Black’s face. Had it been anyone other than Bellatrix Black Order of Merlin, SECOND class of the cursed Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, she doubted the damn magazine would have published it.

With an impressive eye roll, she tossed the damn thing in the bin, too pissed at the editors to even care what else they decided to print. Hell, she’d probably take the rest of her series to a competitor out of bloody spite. She cast a Tempus and growled when she realized she needed to leave now to make it in time for her first class.

Her students all whispered about her mood at lunch, but the 7th years were the only ones that knew about the article and they weren’t talking. Hermione didn’t find out until after dinner that all of her NEWT students had received a copy of Black’s article.

XXXXXXXX

“That woman!” 

Hermione made it to her room before her fury and pent up tension could be taken out on something or someone undeserving. She focused on a complex transfiguration project she’d been working on. Her frustration made her magic just ever so much more spectacular. Maybe she could win back her 7th years with the details she managed using the method she talked about in her article. It didn’t feel like enough. Her anger reignited and she nearly threw it against the wall. 

She shoved it aside and headed out into the hall. She transformed into the bushy haired Maine Coon cat her Animagus form granted her and went roaming the halls. Prancing around as a cat, would help. It’d had always worked before. Cats were free to do whatever the hell they wanted.

She’d been running around climbing on random statues and just catting around for around an hour when a scent made her stop short. She had finally calmed herself and the scent fascinated her sensitive cat nose. She decided to follow the alluring scent. Hermione turned a corner just in time to startle Professor Black. The dark witch looked down at her for a moment and she stared back. 

To her great surprise, the witch crouched down and offered her hand for her to smell. Hermione nearly clawed her hand off, but something stopped her. She couldn’t help it, this was the perfect opportunity to see the woman behind the walls. She approached and took a sniff. Of course, the infuriating woman was the source of the scent. A purr came out of her and she startled a bit. Black chuckled and kept her hand extended. Hermione thought fuck it and took it as a welcome. She rubbed her head against it and the woman grinned. Black’s small but strong hands ran over her very gently and she leaned into them. 

“I haven’t seen you around, lovely, but you are gorgeous,” Black said soothingly as she scratched under her chin. It shouldn’t have felt as good as it did, but then she’d never had anyone scratch her animagus form before. “Are you a firsties familiar?” she asked. Hermione just barely contained herself from shaking her head. She circled the woman and pressed into her thigh before launching onto her lap nearly knocking her over. It made the woman give a soft laugh that just enchanted her.

“I hope I see you around little one. I needed cheering up and you are good at it.” Black said, as Hermione pressed her face against the older woman’s face wondering why she’d need cheering up. The woman had succeeded in her mission to get under her skin.

“Glad you don’t mind an asshole,” Black said. “I’m a huge one according to my NEWT students. Guess most cats are as well though really.” Hermione batted at her face. She knew it was a violation of trust to be doing this, but she was investigating and she was registered. Pictures and all. “Stop that you little shit,” Bellatrix said, pushing the paws away with a smile. 

Bella carefully shifted, sitting down with Hermione on her lap and her back against the wall. She seemed pleased when Hermione settled on her lap, clearly aware how testy cats could be. Hermione looked up at her. A student had confronted Black about her behavior. She wanted to know more and nudged the older woman’s stomach with her head. Who would think think Black would be soft enough to talk to stray cats? 

“Do you think I am an asshole?” Black shook her head and let out a laugh. “How would you know, you beautiful little thing?” She pressed a kiss to the top of Hermione’s head. “Shafiq is one of my smartest students and she thinks I am an asshole.” 

She looked down at the fluffy cat in her lap and Hermione gazed back at her. “Was she right?” Black scratched her back. “I gave her detention, but she was right, wasn’t she? I went too far giving the article to the 7th years.” Hermione curled up in her lap and Black stroked her head. 

“Something is happening with her. I’m worried.” Hermione perked up at that. “You agree?” Hermione licked her hand relegating the fact that she licked Black’s hand to a later time. “I’m going to watch her. One of my former students committed suicide recently,” she said. Hermione didn’t realize she knew about Samantha’s death. “I can’t let that happen again. I won’t.” Hermione could feel the hands tighten in her fur. Hermione let out a loud meow and pushed into the older woman’s face again. 

Black sighed and looked away. Hermione placed her paws on the woman’s shoulder and she nuzzled into her neck. God, Black smelled so fucking good. A giggle escaped Black’s lips at the tickle of her fur against the Professor’s throat. A fucking giggle.

“You coming to my room or are you going back to your student?” Bellatrix asked. If Hermione had been in human form she’d have laughed, watching Black talk to a cat on her shoulder. Instead, she nuzzled Black neck for another moment, before jumping down. “Fair enough. Your firstie is probably better company right now.” She meowed before trotting off and heading around a corner.

She peered around it and watched Black hoist herself up with a sigh. The slumped shoulders of the woman made her feel bad about denying someone comfort even Black, but she was definitely not going back to the woman’s room.

Sitting on her haunches, she knew she couldn’t respond to Black’s actions. It annoyed her that she’d fallen for such classic bullying behavior- but the woman had figured out her soft spot and stabbed it with a dagger. Either way, she couldn’t react. She’d been to enough of Black’s classes for her preliminary report. It seemed it was time to back off for the moment.

XXXXXXXX

Once Bella made it to her bedroom, she brought a bottle over to the table beside her armchair. Her elf had already lit her fire for her and she settled in front of it. She thought that she’d enjoy her victory more than she had. 

Something about it felt wrong. Granger’s anger had been fun at first, but it cooled. Maybe it was the disappointed looks the 7th years gave her over dinner. She may have underestimated Granger’s appeal as the Golden Girl. Shafiq cornering her just added to her unease. 

Her sister always said she always took things too far. Someone would throw a pebble and she’d retaliate with a mountain. The article had been a rock and while she knew it would irritate the woman, her play with the 7th years had been a mountain. She had no idea how Granger would respond. If a mountain came her way, it would be no one’s fault but her own.

She swallowed the rest of her glass and poured herself another. She wished that cat had come back with her to distract her. Fucking Ministry. Always fucking shit up. Fucking worst of all she still had to grade her 5th years’ papers.

She’d overheard one of them squeal when she wrote Salvio hexia on the board and with a little pressure found out that some of them had cornered Granger after their lesson with her about shields. In a rare moment for the woman, she actually talked about the war and gave them a list of spells she used to ward their campsite during the Horcrux hunt. 

Her class erupted and immediately crowded the girl that squealed trying to get a copy of Granger’s list. She stood with her mouth slightly agape for a moment before sitting at her desk and folding her hands in front of her. Students never pulled shit in her classroom so she sat back and observed. She was offended and she could see some of her smarter students noticing and sliding back into their seats.

The super swots and Golden Trio fans were far too gone to notice the danger. She started writing and the ones already sitting tried to subtly get the others’ attention before she raised her finger to her lips in warning. By the time the students remembered quite whose class they were in, the other students looked about ready to collapse. Their faces paled and they near about fell into their chairs.

“The list,” Bella had said, hand outstretched and head down. “Since you are all so fascinated, you won’t mind the extra course work.” She looked over the list. “Four rolls of parchment for the lot on this list. The rest of you, two will do.”

She regretted that decision now, sitting in her room now. Another bloody thing to blame on Granger.

XXXXXXXX

Hermione kept to what she decided that night and didn’t retaliate. She settled into her rhythm. She spent her time after classes and immediately after dinner either visiting common rooms or having open office hours, where she’d grade papers, etc. in case a student needed her. Slowly but surely the students had started opening up to her more and more even after they found out that all detentions were to be served with her. Detentions were rare since docking House points usually got the message across, but she still had a couple 5th years caught out of bed early on. Gotta love hormones.

At first, the ones that approached her were hero worshippers and had all kinds of questions about the war. She gently discouraged them and turned the attention back to them.

After Black’s stunt, the 7th years rallied behind her, surprising both of their professors. They found Black’s action petty and were fascinated by her original article which they all rushed to read. In the end, they had gotten their whole year to side with her and that was better than retaliation. Black’s article actually helped her in the end. Also, knowing Eliza Shafiq had been acting odd had given her a place to start.

Using the Marauder’s Map, she’d been keeping at eye on all the male teachers especially when they had 7th years. She’d long ago memorized the names of all the 7th year girls and much as she felt like a creeper she kept an eye on them all. The map stayed on her at all times and she checked it regularly. Thankfully, a Maine Coon could make it through the halls in a flash. No male professors were left alone with a 7th year girl for long before she came knocking.

Her evaluations were going well. She’d only been to see Trelawney once because spending any time in that godawful incense filled tower listening to the blathering of a complete (somewhat) fraud made her nauseous. She could almost taste the incense whenever she thought about the woman.

Binns she managed to avoid entirely. She couldn’t be bothered sitting through one of his lectures. She didn’t mind them when she knew nothing about Wizarding history, but now? Yikes. Black had thrown a fit when she heard she wasn’t evaluating Binns, but Minerva and the Board vetoed it. Binns had been around during the last evaluation and clearly hadn’t changed his curriculum so eventually Black had to give in.

It was a waste of time, but she did evaluate the Potions professor to avoid suspicion. He taught his class more like Minerva than either Slughorn or Snape, efficient but firm.

She’d popped in on one of Madam Hooch’s early flying lessons. When she learned more, she had been annoyed her Professor hadn’t simply cast an Arresto Momentum on poor Neville instead of letting him be injured. She had started to wonder if the woman had done it as a warning for the other students. 

Roger Davies and Charms had been weird. Her students told her he liked to teach them Charms and charm them. It set off a red flag immediately. Her thoughts fell back to Lockhart again. God, what a fool she’d been back then. Either way, he’d been bumped up her suspect list a lot from those comments. Memory spells were charms after all. 

Hermione put herself in the middle range of the Charms classroom and leaned against the wall with her notebook as he started his lesson. She watched the students almost as much as she watched him, but she did it in a way that they didn’t or barely noticed. She could tell they thought he was showing off. Was it because he was being evaluated or something else? She thought over all she remembered about him besides the records she’d obtained. His brother had been a Quidditch player for Ravenclaw was about all she could drag up.

Leaning against the wall impassively, she watched the lesson. They were 1st years and the know it all in her felt tempted to go out amongst them and correct their speech or wand movements, but she could only observe. ‘It’s Wingardium LeviOsa not LevisoAR' played in her head and she smiled, remembering how obnoxious she’d been. How far she’d come from that girl crying in a bathroom. She still held onto a bit of that obnoxiousness, she thought as she winced at the atrocious pronunciations.

He didn’t act overtly slimey, but then again the girls were awfully young and the victim had been nearly an adult. He did pay more attention to the girls struggling than the boys. Hermione didn’t like it. It bred familiarity and trust. All the easier to use it and break it. 

The class ended and she had the next period free as well so she planned to stay. His next class was 7th years from all the houses and while she was sitting in on at least one of each year the 7th years were her focus. 

The students surrounded her and she played court for a little bit. Most of them wanted her to come back to their DADA class. Apparently, they had a great time when she had been there evaluating and they thought Black was scary without her there.

After a tiny bit of pressure, she managed to crack a Hufflepuff and the blushing girl told her how she’d overheard a 7th year say that most of the school thought the two of them should shag. Neville and Luna were going to find that hilarious and probably agree. She sent them off after that as the other Hufflepuffs gently teased the girl.

As the door shut behind the students, she mentally prepared herself to see how the man reacted to them alone. It was part of why she chose these classes to evaluate. When she turned around, she found him leaning against a desk with a smile. He’d grown into a rather handsome man and he knew it. His black hair had been neatly combed, but managed to look effortless even after Charms with 1st years. She suspected he used a charm. 

A little research had provided the background she remembered vaguely. The Davies brothers were never really in her periphery. Roger had been an opposing Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain against Harry, but while Roger had been in the same year, he never really made much of an impression on her. Her reports were mostly professional and there was little about his time at Hogwarts.

Her brain raced through all she could recall about the Davies. Her memory could be counted as impressive, but there was so much to sort through. Her mind finally found the one she was looking for and she laughed. Fleur Delacour. Roger Davies had been her date for the Yule Ball. He hadn’t even been that cute and she never thought him all that special. He didn’t stand out in classes. She remembered standing with Victor wondering why Fleur chose him with basically every guy and a few girls interested in her. 

Was he already coercing woman then? Did he use magic on Fleur? She would have to write a letter to her as soon as possible. After her short stop in at Shell Cottage, she become more friendly with the woman. They had been exchanging owls since and every now and then would grab coffee. The woman was a genius curse breaker. She liked having useful friends. 

“So Umbridge 2.0, how did you find my class?” he asked, oozing charm and grinning. Her smile must have looked forced because his dropped a little. “Too soon?” Her mind flashed back to that awful courtroom. 

“Always when it comes to Umbridge,” she said, shortly. “I never enjoyed watching someone being dragged off to Azkaban before her.”

His face gained a bit of pinched look. “Can’t say she didn’t deserve it.”

“Certainly,” she said, looking down at her notes pointedly.

He didn’t quite get the hint though and moved closer to her. She guessed he hoped to save the moment with his charm and good looks. Too bad she wasn’t susceptible to either.

“Have you found it strange to be here after everything?” he asked, leaning on a desk.

“Every year I spent here was strange,” she said wryly, “So to me Hogwarts and strange go hand in hand. Perhaps without Harry here with me, I won’t find a villain lurking the halls.”

“I,” he cleared his throat, “certainly hope not.”

“Me too,” she said, looking down at her notes again. “Me too.”

Realizing he had no way to course correct the conversation, he made his excuses and retreated to his connected office.

She still had another 20 minutes to spare so she fell into a seat towards the middle of the classroom. She’d have to see him with the 7th years, but so far, the man she’d seen fit the profile she’d built. He had charm and looks, but little power. The only bit he had was over the students. 

Unfortunately, obvious isn’t always the answer. Occam’s Razor, yes, but she needed proof beyond her own intuition. Slughorn continued to elude her people.


	5. Chapter 5

Bellatrix had been quiet for far too long. Hermione knew she shouldn’t have let her guard down and become complacent, but that night made her think the other woman regretted what she did. The woman had been keeping her distance. But it seemed she really did miss her as some of the students seemed to believe.

Black made her move in a very occupied corridor. “Are you ever going to finish your assessment or was I just that amazing you’re finished already?”

“Oh, I’m not done,” she said. “I do have a preliminary report though.”

“Do I have to wait for the cogs of the Ministry to see it?”

“You know Minerva decides when you see it.” Hermione folded her arms across her chest. “You sure you want to do this in front of students?” she asked, gesturing at their rather large audience. 

“You are here for the students, aren’t you?” Black shot back, with a smile.

Hermione smiled back. “I am.”

“Don’t you think they deserve to know?”

Hermione looked around at the faces around them and gave them a fond smile. “They do, but I thought you’d prefer a little privacy when hearing it.”

“That’s alright.” The older woman crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall. “Let them hear. They’ll speculate too much otherwise.”

“I’m sure they will anyway,” Hermione said, with a crooked grin and a shake of her head. She let out a breath and laughed a little. “Fine, then.” She looked at the students again. Most of them including Black obviously expected it to be scathing after the Transfiguration Today debacle. “It’s just the preliminary, mind you.”

She opened her bag and with a twitch of her wand a piece of parchment flew out. Her shoulders straightened as she prepared herself. Hermione looked once more to Black, but just received a nod to go ahead. 

She rolled her eyes, but began to read from her report, ”Professor Black has exemplary knowledge of the field of Defense Against the Dark Arts and is quite proficient in teaching it. She keeps the students attentive and active in her lessons. Her students listen when she speaks. She’s extremely efficient and doesn’t waste time. However, during my time observing, she relied heavily on my presence to instruct her class. While I believe my presence was instructive, I thought it a disruption to the regular flow of classwork. I‘m satisfied in believing the Professor saw me as a resource to use and grabbed it which can be a sign of a good teacher, but I thought it a bit inappropriate as the Professor knew I was to be a silent observer.” Hermione looked pointedly at Black and continued, “It felt like a petty defiance against my presence here.” Hermione kept her eyes on Black as she finished. 

All the students’ heads whipped to the older woman. Her face moved quickly from an impassive wall to a deeply amused mockery at her last line. Hermione raised her eyebrows in question. 

“It was defiance against the Ministry presence at Hogwarts,” Black said, with a broad grin. “I’m the opposite of offended,” she said, looking over her students, “In case you were wondering.” The students smiled. They liked Hermione, but loyalty to their longterm teacher seemed to hold for the moment.

“Somehow, I knew that’s what you would say,” Hermione said, the fondness that crept into her voice went unnoticed by the Professors, but all the students heard it and quite a few thought GAY. 

Hermione remembered Black’s stand against the bullshit the Ministry had pulled even with Kingsley at the front. It had been early in her career at the Ministry, but she had agreed with most of Black’s criticism. She stayed because she planned to change things when Black had given up. She wondered when she turned into a bully.

“Yes, because everyone knows I am predictable,” Black countered, sarcastically, knowing her report said just the opposite.

Hermione snorted, loudly. The students were confused when Black just smiled. 

“If that’s all?” Hermione said. 

“For now.”

XXXXXXX

“Draco told me the Granger girl told her firsties that she punched him in the face,” Narcissa said twirling a finger around the edge of her glass. Bellatrix frowned. “What did you do?”

“I simply warned her against badmouthing him.”

Narcissa shook her head, but her lips twitched. “He was worried about that. He told me to tell you to stand down. Did you hurt her?” Bella shrugged. “How bad?” Narcissa asked. 

“She was fine. The wall she hit wasn’t that hard.” 

Andromeda leaned forward. “I know Hermione. She hit back?”

“She didn’t need to hit back, she hit me back with her words before she even got off the floor.”

Andromeda laughed. “Sounds like Hermione. What did she say?”

“She simply called me a child.”

Narcissa studied her face. “I read your article in Transfiguration Today. What is going on between you and Granger?” Bella looked away and Andromeda burst into laughter.

“Oh, you like her! I never took you for a cradle robber!”

“I don’t like her. She’s Ministry and at Hogwarts under their authority. I loathe her,” Bella hissed before murmuring, “and she’s only 15 years younger than me.” Which just set Andy off again. 

Narcissa looked thoughtful. “It would be a good match.”

“Did you miss the part where I loathe her? Oh, and she loathes me.”

“You brought the mountain.” Narcissa said

Bellatrix let out a breath through her nose. “I did and it backfired spectacularly.”

“Backfired? And you are surprised? It always does.” Andromeda shook her head. “What did you do?”

“Gave copies of my article to all of her NEWT students.”

Andromeda’s eyes widened. “Oh damn, you hit her where it hurts, her credibility with her students. What did she do?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? Really?” Andromeda said, thoughtfully. “Well, she is experienced with bullies.”

“Are you calling me a bully?”

“Are you calling my son a bully?”

“Yes. Obviously.” Andy raised her glass toward her siblings.

Narcissa “Well, at least my son changed.”

“Hey!”

“Bella, at this point we know you will never change,” Andy said.

Narcissa took a measured sip as the two bickered. Finally, she said “Granger will make a fine Lady Black.” She swirled her wine around. “The wedding should be before she is Minister. Maybe a summer wedding. Obviously, not this summer, but perhaps the next.”

Head tilting back, Bella said, “You are clearly missing the part where she hates me.”

“You aren’t denying that you want her to be the new Lady Black,” Andy said. 

Bella slammed her glass down on the table. “I am most certainly denying it.”

“Oh, Cissy she’s in denial,” Andy said, ignoring Bellatrix. 

Narcissa leveled her eyes against her oldest sibling. “She doesn’t know what she wants,” she said to Andromeda. “She’ll figure it out eventually."

“Hopefully, before the wedding.”

Narcissa tapped her lip. “Do you think we should invite the Parkinsons? Draco once told me Granger and Pansy don’t get along."

“I hate you both.” 

“You love us,” Narcissa said, dangling her glass in her fingers.

Bella groaned. “Doesn’t stop me from hating you as well.”

Andy sniffed as she poured herself another glass. “I never thought about it before because of the age difference but damn Cissy, Bella and Hermione are seriously perfect together. Wish I knew Bella was a cougar sooner. I definitely would have set them up.”

“I am not a cougar!”

“I never thought the Golden Girl would go for a cougar, honestly,” Narcissa said. “But this is a good development.”

“I am going to kill you both.”

Narcissa reached out and pulled the bottle back to her. 

XXXXXXX

Fleur had written her back assuring no untoward behavior on Davies’ part. She’d accepted his invitation because she’d heard Ravenclaws were smart and he was good on a broom. It didn’t hurt that he’d been exceedingly polite with her and didn’t act too enthralled. He was younger than her and she trusted he wouldn’t get too forward with her.

Her friend’s account seemed like a plus for Davies, but he’d only been a 4th year. After teaching 4th years, they seemed like such babies. It was funny how grown up they all thought they were back then. 

She did eventually accept an invitation to grab a drink with Davies during the next Hogsmeade weekend. He supposedly wanted to discuss her preliminary evaluation. After her public reading of Black’s, he was hard to deny even if she doubted that was what he really wanted to talk to her about.

Davies led her to a private booth with a smarmy smile like she should be impressed. As if Rosmerta wouldn’t give her the entirety of the upstairs private rooms if she so much as smiled at the woman. Hell, the woman would clear the bar out for her if she so much as hinted that’s what she wanted.

“Firewhiskey?” he asked.

“Butterbeer.”

He signaled for drinks.

“You know, I am considered a bit of a war hero, myself,” Davies said, smiling as the waitress set their drinks in front of them. “I fought alongside Harry at the Battle of Hogwarts just as you did.”

She didn’t know why he thought it was a good idea to try this route again. If he was the culprit, however, Hermione could definitely see him sucking Ron in with it. Ron always liked to be reminded he was considered a hero. He gave the most interviews after the war while Hermione and Harry were happy to keep their heads down for the most part. Hermione only acquiesced to a few interviews because she wanted to put the spotlight on the value of Muggleborns especially after the horrors the Ministry had committed during the war. She also wrote her book.

“Every student that fought is a hero in my mind,” Hermione said, diplomatically. 

He smiled, completely unaware of her tone. “No other student could boast that they took out Fenrir Greyback.”

Her hands clenched under the table and she knew she hadn’t kept her face completely straight. She’d only told Harry. She’d seen him maul Lavender Brown and go after Tonks and Remus. Dolohov had hit Tonks from behind and Greyback took out Remus. In a blind rage, Hermione had hit Greyback from behind before hitting Dolohov with a Bombarda Maxima. The gore, when she came back to herself, had left her heaving. Thankfully, no one caught her in her moment of weakness. 

She took subtle deep breaths like she was trained. She disliked the man before, but listening to him tell bullshit about the war just pissed her off and the anger was easier to focus on. “Oh, you were the one to take down Greyback?” she asked, her voice even.

“I never wanted to brag, but yes. I dueled that beast and took him down,” he said, leaning back in the booth and draping his arm across the top. Hermione kept her face straight. 

“Werewolves aren’t beasts,” she replied. His face turned to a sneer, but it quickly morphed into a blank expression.

“Oh, yes I agree. Not all of them, but certainly you have to agree that Greyback was a beast. He deserved to be put down.”

Hermione hated him a bit more. She acted like she was as interested as one of his followers. Her body leaned forward as if interested as she said, “What spell did you use on him?” 

He faltered for a moment as she expected. As irritating as the man was, he wasn’t entirely stupid. The people he’d probably told the story to hadn’t been as instrumental in the cleanup and trials. He didn’t know what she knew and she could tell, but she didn’t feel guilty since he put himself in this position. 

“Well, I… we tossed a few spells back and forth. I don’t remember exactly what took the be…him down in the end.”

“You’re right. Fenrir Greyback was a beast. You really don’t remember casting the final spell? It had to have been a gruesome sight to see, honestly. Blood spurting out of his chest and all.”

“Oh yes, that’s right. I hit him with a slicing curse,” he said, digging himself in further. 

Hermione sighed. She was done. “Actually, he died of a head wound.” She stood abruptly and met his shocked eyes. “I killed Greyback, Roger. Thank you for your time. Even if it was all lies and empty bragging about something that no one should brag about. By the way, you passed your preliminary.”

“Wait!” Davies said, jumping up and grabbing her arm. She spun on him and threw his arm off with a sharp glare. Her wand fell into her free hand and his eyes fell to it. “Okay. Okay! I’m sorry. I know you have no reason to trust me now, but I did have an important reason to bring you here. It’s not about my evaluation.”

She frowned, but didn’t move to walk away. 

“Look, I know you’ve been investigating the professors,” he said, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Have you heard the rumors about the Astronomy Professor Greengrass? He’s been getting close to a 7th year.”

“Daphne’s older brother?” She asked. He nodded. “Why do you think I care?”

“Aren’t you at Hogwarts looking for improper behavior?”

“I’m here to assess the professors. Improper behavior would fall under that purview,” she said. “Have you talked to the girl? Or Greengrass?”

“It’s just rumors and I’m not her Head of House.”

“Well, did you talk to her Head of House?” Hermiome asked.

“Talk to Black?” He snorted. “Like she’d give a shit. The girl is of age and you know how Black feels about the rules.” 

Hermione didn’t, but she frowned. “So you just didn’t mention it to anyone.”

“I’m telling you now, aren’t I? A Ministry official investigating professors. Who better to tell? Why do you think I asked you out today?” He hissed out. 

“To tell me made up war stories?” she spat out. He glared at her, but she met his eyes with an even stare. 

“I’ve been watching you.”

Hermione frowned. “That’s not creepy at all.”

Davies sighed. “You pay more attention to the older students. Makes me think something is going on you aren’t telling us.”

Hermione shook her head. “I am the Head of a Department in the Ministry. Some of the older students might be looking for work at the Ministry.” Hermione said.

“So, you are head hunting?” he asked, searching her face.

Hermione chuckled. “Half of the 7th years have received letters already from the other Departments. I tend to prefer the more personal touch.” 

“Fair enough.” He nodded and looked away. “So, you are going to look into it? Greengrass?”

“Of course. Do you know the girl’s name?”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s, uh, Amanda Fawley.” 

Hermione placed her as a loud girl, but studious and intelligent. Pretty, too.

“Alright then, if that was all?” she asked. 

He swallowed and looked away. “Yeah. Look, I’m sorry, Granger. You know,” he said as he ran his hand through his wavy black hair, “about earlier. I get carried away sometimes. People are always asking me about the war and I just…”

“Get carried away.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry.” 

Hermione nodded and started to walk away before she hesitated and turned her head back to the man. “You know as well as I do there was no glory at the Battle of Hogwarts. The students need to hear that instead of war stories that make it all seem glamorous.” With that, she left.

XXXXXXXX

Unbeknownst to Hermione or Davies, they had a spectator. Bellatrix thoughtfully sipped her drink as she watched the Unspeakable leave. Davies always rubbed her the wrong way and it amused her to see him put in his place. When the two sat in the booth behind hers, she thought she’d be bored to tears listening to him grand stand, but yet again, Granger proved to be a lot more entertaining than Bella gave her credit for. 

She’d always wondered who had taken down Greyback. His body had been found close to her niece and Remus’ body had shown signs that he had been the one to kill him. If what Hermione said was true then she most likely knew who killed her niece. If they had survived, it would have been brought up at trial. 

Granger testified against quite a few of the Death Eaters she’d caught. When she saw Granger on the witness list, it was always a relief. The girl made a great witness. She was articulate and handled herself well on the witness box. Back in those days, she greatly admired the girl, not that she would have admitted it to anyone. The more she learned about the woman she’d become the more she remembered that admiration. 

The outfit she’d been wearing for her little date had been quite fetching for Muggle clothes. Nothing that would have given Davies the wrong idea, but much tighter than anything she wore at the castle. When she’d been younger, she’d looked like a little girl playing office except in the eyes. She definitely didn’t look like that anymore. 

Her pencil skirt made her ass looked spectacular and the heels made her legs look amazing. She noticed she wasn’t the only one that was looking and her attention turned back to Davies. That little fucker acting like she wouldn’t care about her students. 

That whole nonsense about head hunting had her curious. The Department of Mysteries didn’t need to head hunt. The list of people interested in working there had always been one of the highest in the whole of the Ministry. It made her curious about her involvement with the 7th years. She’d assumed it was because of the Transfiguration Today article, but the lie piqued her interest. Davies had said he thought she was looking for improper behavior and she’d been focusing on the 7th years. How unspeakable would it have to be to bring Granger of all people to Hogwarts? 

She’d gone about things all wrong. She’d let herself get distracted by the Unspeakable and not the unspeakable things that could be happening in Hogwarts. Granger had stirred things in her and, of course, having the Ministry messing about in her territory always rubbed her the wrong way.

It was a shit poor excuse for getting distracted from what was really important, the students, and now Granger couldn’t be bothered with her. She needed to do something to fix that, but Blacks don’t apologize. 

As she signaled for another drink, she spotted what might be her salvation sitting over in the corner nursing a drink.

XXXXXXXX

Bellatrix watched Granger with a lazy smile as she read the Letter to the Editor she’d asked Minerva to write. 

Transfiguration Today had sent her an advance copy so she could comment. Her favorite bit was: ‘I’ve seen all the research unlike Professor Black and it’s quite remarkable. Perhaps if Professor Black was Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts instead of Professor of Defense of Dark Arts, she’d have been more curious about the research than shutting down the current Transfiguration Professor.’

Granger finished and looked between Minerva and Bellatrix before she settled on Bellatrix. “When asked for comment, Professor Black responded with ‘Fair enough.,” Granger read aloud. 

Black tilted her glass to her and Hermione gave her a faint smile. Bella took it as a victory.


	6. Chapter 6

The early mid-year reports were in and Professor McGonagall had provided Hermione with copies. They included exam and homework results as well as disciplinary records, but one was conspicuously missing. She groaned and let her head fall onto her desk. Of course, Black’s would be missing. 

Her head still on her desk, she blindly reached for her wand and cast a quick Tempus without lifting her head. She looked up to see that curfew hadn’t set in yet. Black had rounds tonight and she never missed them. Everyone knew that Bellatrix Black loved to catch troublemakers, and usually worked in her office until curfew before she crept out to prowl. 

There were plenty of reports she could review. She didn’t have to find Black tonight, but for some reason tonight felt like her best bet. Black wouldn’t have a lot of time to run her around before she had to start her rounds and she already had a good idea where the Professor would be.

Since the Letter to the Editor, Black had been exceedingly polite and oddly charismatic. It had been unnerving until Minerva had confessed she wrote the Letter at the woman’s request. Hermione had managed to ignore her for the most part. The olive branch was appreciated, but she had more important things to worry about and well, fuck Black. She was a tad bitter.

She banged her head lightly on the desk before getting up, all the while cursing McGonagall’s name. The Headmistress obviously knew Black hadn’t turned in her reports when she handed them over and clearly left her to deal with it. It was an action fitting a Slytherin, or even their old Headmaster. Hermione was very bitter.

Students ducked out of her way as she stomped down the hall. The gossip mills were already churning as the students questioned her destination. A few of the more foolhardy Gryffindors started trailing her from a distance, even with curfew so soon. Unfortunately for them, Hermione knew how Gryffindors worked and they ran into a quick precaution she’d set for them, leaving them frozen until someone set them free. It would most likely be Black on her rounds, and she felt a little bad for losing Gryffindor House points, but they deserved it for invading her privacy. 

Without a second thought she burst into Black’s classroom. The woman had her head down diligently going over her assignments, and her dark curly hair spilled across the desk.

“Oi, Granger. What do you want?” she asked without even looking up.

“I’m sure after McGonagall didn’t come after you for your reports, you knew I’d be coming for them. What are you trying to pull? I thought you were done with the petty bullshit.” Hermione tapped the desk. 

Black finished with the paper in front of her and moved on to the next one. “I am,” she said.

“So, what did you just miss me?” Hermione asked, glaring down at the stubborn witch. Black glanced up and then back at the homework she had been grading without answering.

She didn’t catch much of her expression, but she caught enough. “You did miss me,” Hermione said with a grin. ‘Wow.”

“I said nothing of the sort,” Black replied, again without looking up. 

“You didn’t need to say anything. I can read you at this point.” Hermione rested her hands on the other woman’s desk with a smirk. “If you didn’t want to see me, then where are your reports?”

“McGonagall is in charge of the reports. Not you.”

“Please,” she said, rolling her eyes up to the heavens, “I know you are smart enough to realize I’d expect the reports. When she didn’t give you shit, you knew I’d be the one coming for them. As I imagine you hoped.”

Black’s head lifted. “I never…”

Hermione jumped in, “Been late handing in your reports.” Her eyebrows rose. “Before now.” She tapped her lips. “Wonder what changed…”

“So, you are admitting to accessing our records?” Black asked, meeting her eyes and raising her eyebrows.

Hermione just laughed. “I’ve never hid it. I thought it was rather obvious,” Hermione said, “It’s not unusual for someone assessing the school. Why are you acting surprised?” Hermione asked. “Why am I chasing your reports this year?” she asked, smiling like a shark. “Only thing I can come up with is that you missed me.”

Black reached into her desk and threw the reports at her.

Hermione gathered them. “I knew it.” A smirk formed on her face. “Aww.” She tilted her head. "You really did miss me,” she said, grinning.

Black stared her down, reading her face. Hermione invaded her space and the Professor didn’t back down. Hermione leaned forward across the desk and whispered, “Just admit it. We both know the truth.”

“I admit nothing.” Black spat back. She couldn’t help it, as her eyes drifted again to Hermione’s lips.

“Fine,” Hermione said. She leaned back, waving the report she’d come for. “Thanks for wasting my time.”

Bellatrix was up in a flash and had Hermione’s wrist in a death grip. “I don’t waste people’s time.” 

Hermione was about to protest, but the older woman backed her up and pressed her entire body against hers. Nothing could have stopped her from shuttering at the feel of the woman. She suddenly found herself against the wall of Black’s office. Lips and teeth ghosted over her neck and a firm thigh slotted itself between hers. She just barely bit back a groan. 

Black seemed to hear it anyway and took it as permission to bite down into her neck. Hermione knew she would have to remove the mark she knew it would leave, but she didn’t want to. God, what an asshole and fuck, she wanted the fucking asshole.

The knowledge she wanted it didn’t help her body’s reaction. Black was still the enemy, but she’d all but melted into the woman’s arms. Feeling the crumbling of Hermione’s walls, Black moved her lips back across her skin and took her lips. 

Hermione had known she wanted the woman since the very beginning. Even with Black acting like a bitch, she still wanted her and her stupid body was giving her away if the dampness she felt in her underwear was any indication. Her lips parted and the kiss deepened. Their tongues intertwined and the taste of the woman and the feeling of her body against hers, it all felt like heaven. Hands drifted to her skirt. She felt fingers graze her thighs as strong hands slipped around and took her ass in a firm grip, pulling her tighter against a leather clad thigh. She couldn’t help grinding herself into it and letting out a breathy moan. 

Suddenly the image of Samatha flashed before her eyes. With a sudden surge of willpower, she shoved the other Professor off her. The woman fell back surprised, breathing heavy. Panting, she smoothed down her skirt and quickly pushed Black back, grabbing the reports.

“This can never happen again,” she said, patting her hair down. “Better yet. This never happened.”

“Oh, it happened and I’m not inclined to forget it. Why should I?” Black asked, cocky and flushed. Hermione thought she looked stunning. 

“Because my school assessment isn’t over and you’ll get someone much worse if I’m replaced.”

Bellatrix smirked. “My assessment is over.”

“I told you that was just the preliminary. Your assessment is far from over and trust me, it will start all over,” Hermione said. “Just let it go and let’s move on.”

“You could assess my bedroom.”

“Professor Black.”

“Fine, fine. I won’t say anything.”

“That’s the best I’m going to get, isn’t it?”

Bellatrix smiled. “Yes.”

Hermione’s head fell back and rolled to the side in exasperation. Bellatrix traced the lines of her throat with her eyes. Her eyes lingered on the marks she’d left. “Fine,” Hermione spat out. She shuffled the reports in her arms and stormed out. 

Hermione fled to her rooms. She’d been tempted to run to the Headmistress, but while she thought of the older woman as a mentor, this wasn’t something she could bring up with her. So she sat stewing and pacing through her rooms until Twinkle convinced her to go to bed. 

Her head wouldn’t let her rest there though. It kept replaying the moment in Black’s classroom on repeat, and the slickness between her legs didn’t help either. Finally, she took matters into her own hands. Her fingers slid beneath her waistband and into the wetness. “Fucking Black,” she growled into the darkness of her room as she imagined the other woman’s hand in place of her own. She teased herself, dipping a finger inside. Would Black tease? “God,” she moaned at the thought. Or would she take her fast and hard? Her hand sped up, palm pressing against her clit. If she hadn’t stopped her would they have fucked against that wall? Slipping her own hand into those leather pants, pulling that corset off and finally seeing beneath that sinful corset.

It didn’t take her long to cum after playing out that fantasy.

Bellatrix ran a finger across her kiss swollen lips as she walked the halls. She still didn’t know why the Ministry was interfering, but she wouldn’t mind nearly as much if she got to kiss Granger again. It had been better than she imagined. The woman knew how to kiss and that ass. She flexed her hands.

To their shock, the Gryffindors she found frozen in the hall got off with just a warning.

XXXXXXXX

Hermione woke early after a restless night full of dreams of pouty lips and leather. She read over the some of the reports, but her mind kept wandering. She needed a distraction and Davies had given her a good one. She’d been investigating Greengrass and hadn’t found any untoward behavior involving Fawley. If he was meeting Fawley privately, it would have had to have been in Hogsmeade which didn’t fit with anything Samantha had written. It also didn’t fit the profile she’d developed. Hogsmeade lacked the power dynamics and what seemed like an illicit but consensual relationship.

She sent a house elf with the message to Greengrass to meet before breakfast. A knock at her door a few minutes later had her wand at the ready as she opened the door. Seeing her wand drawn, he drew his slowly and handed it over. It slid neatly into her holster and she waved him into her rooms.

“It’s not what you think.” he said, with a sigh.

“What do you think I think?” 

“That I’m some … pervert. I’d never. Some students saw me having a private moment with Amanda Fawley, but it’s not what you think.” He ran a hand through his hair. “She’s, well, apparently, my daughter. I had no idea. She found out right before her 7th year. I did the tests. We hid it for obvious reasons. I wanted to get to know her. She’s my daughter. I know I should have gone to McGonagall right away.”

“Your daughter.”

His face transformed when he smiled at the thought of it. “I never understood why people say you get it when it’s your kid, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. I never imagined. I was so happy, but I didn’t want to make it difficult for her. I would have resigned but she convinced me not to. She wanted the year together. I’d do anything for her. She’s perfect and I adore her. She makes my life brighter.” 

His obvious love made him a clear no. She questioned him for a bit longer before they both headed to breakfast. Davies was now the clear suspect but she still had no evidence. His eyes were on the pair of them when they walked in together.

After Greenglass’ confession, he agreed to go to the Headmistress and admit everything. She offered to go with him and he accepted gratefully even though they didn’t know each other well. Her observation during her evaluation had been that he was an effective teacher and she respected that he came clean to her. 

McGonagall called Fawley in after she heard the story and she told them how she’d found it all out over the summer. She willingly dropped Astronomy, as she’d only taken it again to be close to her dad. A private tutor had been offered, but she declined. Her eyes spotted Greengrass’ disappointment with a bit of amusement. 

She left before the Headmistress was done with Greengrass, offering to escort Fawley back to her House. On the way, she cautiously made small talk with the girl, as they had a bit of rapport from her classes. It probably didn’t hurt that she’d stood for the girls best interests in the Headmistress’ office and defended the girl’s dad. She’d been quietly warning the 6th and 7th years to stick together and not leave each other alone.

She had interviews lined up over the Christmas holiday. She hoped they would give her the information she needed, but that meant she’d be out of the castle. Amanda would be staying this year to be close to her father. Hermione asked her to keep an eye out. It didn’t hurt that she was a Ravenclaw; Hermione had her ongoing suspicions there. 

XXXXXXXXX

Black got bold after that night in her office. Little touches were followed up with devious little smirks. The woman would ‘accidentally’ brush up against her whenever she could. Black really wasn’t subtle. A firm hand on her thigh, a booted foot dragging up her ankle all designed to set her on fire and it was working. That damn kiss had been replaying in her mind, and it didn’t help that the woman had started talking to her as well. The professor had a brilliant mind and she played on Hermione’s constant thirst for knowledge. Their “discussions” over breakfast quickly became heated and deeply academic to the point some of the other professors seemed lost.

Most meals had her next to the woman no matter if she was late or early. Hermione was convinced she’d talked to the other teachers and there was a conspiracy. It’s not like she’d endeared them to her and she had a sneaking suspicion they enjoyed watching their back and forth.

Hermione couldn’t wait until the Christmas holidays. Her breaking point was coming and she needed out of the castle for a bit. Intelligence and wit had always been a turn on for her and the older witch had them in spades. She near asked McGonagall to find a way to sit between them, but the woman would find other ways to torment her on a daily basis. It didn’t hurt that she enjoyed their talks.

Less than a week until the Holiday break, Black cornered her in a hallway, trapping her between her arms. She had been caught unprepared, her arms full of books and homework. 

The woman distracted her and she had more important issues to deal with than the crazy woman’s flirtations. Hermione stormed into her room, cursing. It didn’t take long before a knock sounded at her door. She opened her doors to her intruders with a dark glare. They took over the room in a flash. She glared at them before she went to pour her own drink, but didn’t offer them anything. She just sat grumpily. Neville and Luna made their own drinks and sat before her.

Hermione wished Harry was there. He stabilized her. She’d rather talk to him first, and she’d owed him a letter. With a heavy sigh, gave them a heavy look. 

“I take it the students sent you.”

They nodded. 

“I don’t think I’ve seen you this frazzled since Slughorn’s first potion’s challenge,” Neville said. Hermione glared, remembering. 

Luna smiled. “Is that when Harry won the Felix Felicis?”

Hermione grit her teeth. “Yes.”

“At this point, knowing what you do, honestly, do you think it would have been better if you’d gotten the potion?” Neville asked. 

The firewhiskey went down hard, scorching her throat. “I’ve asked myself that question a few times. It all worked out, didn’t it?” Hermione said. 

“It did.”

After a few moments, Luna leaned back, her glass dangling in her hand. “The wrackspurts have been all over you lately.”

“What’s going on?” Neville asked. 

Her head fell into her hands. “I’m not compartmentalizing well.”

“We know you are here for more than just assessing the school.”

“We won’t ask questions if you don’t want us to,” Luna said.

They sat quietly for a few minutes before Hermione finally blurted out, “I made out with Professor Black and she’s been trying to goad me into more even though I pushed her away.” She looked away, grimacing. “After a few minutes."

“What a brilliant match!” Luna exclaimed. “No wonder she demanded we all let her sit next to you.”

Hermione frowned at her. “And you let her?” Luna just shrugged. 

Neville looked a bit more off balance. “It’s affecting your investigation?”

“No comment.” She ran her hand through her hair and let the silence reign for a few minutes. “Look drop it for now. I have another concern.” Thankfully, it was Neville and Luna and they trusted her enough to let it go. Even though the girl had dropped both of their classes, they might have noticed something. “Eliza Shafiq. How is she acting?” 

Neville looked a bit confused, but Luna nodded. “I brought it up with Roger. She had her own infestation of wrackspurts. She seems like she’s been doing a lot better since then so I think Roger might have stepped in.”

The report both pleased and dismayed her. She hoped it meant that Eliza had been left alone, but it made her worried her that her progress with Eliza had just been an illusion because he knew that Luna had been watching out for her. 

With a sigh, Hermione rolled her shoulders. “I doubt Roger did anything to help her, honestly. He's a bit of a tool, but lately I’ve taken her under my wing because I’ve been worried as well.”

Neville wanted to defend the other Professor, but he trusted Hermione. He’d heard some of the things, Davies had spouted after the war ended, and he, like the others, let him spout his shit. It never felt worth it to call him out when he didn’t really know what Davies really did during the battle. He’d heard all kinds of crazy stories in the aftermath. Ravenclaws against Acromantula, etc. 

Nagini died under his hand. wNo one would have believed if if they hadn’t seen it. The last Horcrux. Hermione had took him aside after the battle and explained everything. She told him how he had dealt the real finishing blow and while Voldemort’s curse backfired because of the Elder Wand anyone could have killed the man after his actions. Didn’t have to be Harry. She had hugged him and promised it wouldn’t have been over without his quick thinking in taking out Nagini. She’d kissed his cheek and he believed her. Hermione never lied to him and she looked at him like he had saved the world. He trusted her more than anyone. 

“He didn’t kill Greyback, did he?” Neville asked, meeting Hermione’s eyes.

She kept her eyes steady. “Of course not. I did.” 

Luna said, quietly, “Explains why no one claimed his death.”

Hermione looked away. “I didn’t claim a single death. Doesn’t mean I didn’t kill.”

Neville lay his hand on her shoulder. “I claimed my dead, but you weren’t there that last year. I claim all the students tortured or killed as mine.” He let out a shuddering sigh, remembering.

Hermione lurched forward and wrapped him in her arms. He’d been expecting it the moment the words left his lips.

“That year really fucked us up, didn’t it?” Luna said as they broke their embrace. She walked over and pulled them both back into an embrace that felt more healing than the last one.

“Can we do this once a month?” Neville asked.

Hermione smiled into his shoulder. “A group hug?”

“That would be nice, but just checking in and not pretending it was all okay.”

“Done,” Luna and Hermione echoed.

“When I leave Hogwarts, I can still make a monthly visit,” Hermione said, squeezing a little bit tighter. “I think it would help me, too. Maybe I could bring Harry every now and then. Is it weird that just seeing him living is an affirmation of life sometimes.” She stopped. “Don’t ever tell him I said that.” They smiled at her knowing how awkward he’d feel.

“Have either of you actually tried Felix Felicis?” Luna asked.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione’s apartment in London was adequate enough for the Holidays, and while she didn’t exactly want to invite interviewees into to one of her homes, this was a special case and the victims deserved respect. Her apartment fit what she needed perfectly. It was sterile, but still clearly a home. There were books everywhere as it had become her second library, and a few photos hung on the wall.

She’d told them they were allowed to bring a friend or familiar, and all but one of the girls agreed to meet her. Meeting with the Golden Girl had a lasting appeal she’d used before and she didn’t doubt she’d use it again. It was a tad immoral because even if they didn’t want to talk to her it was hard to refuse a meet and greet with the Golden Girl, but the decision was ultimately theirs.

Shortly after the doorbell rang, Twinkle escorted her guests to her study. Her wand was placed on the table out of her reach where they could clearly see it, showing her vulnerability and openness. . The elf promptly left after she asked him for tea. She could see that the women felt somewhat withdrawn and stranded, as they both looked like they could barely stand with all the nerves. “Please sit,” she said, gesturing to her sofa.

Hermione offered a smile as they sat and said, “Twinkle is the best. I’m sure you’ve read in the papers that I think they deserve payment among other things.” She shrugged. “Many people still find it strange, but I think we are making some strides. Depending on the elf, of course.” Hermione gave a self deprecating smile. “I wouldn’t want to force anyone into anything.”

That earned her soft smiles. Twinkle popped back in with tea and biscuits. Hermione thanked the young elf and the other two quietly did as well. The elf smiled with a slight blush before disappearing with a quick snap.

“It’s still weird having servants though to be honest, even though I pay them. You know I am a Muggleborn, right?”

They nodded. 

“Sorry. Probably a silly question, The Prophet made sure everyone knew what I was after the war.

The woman that had been introduced as Peg leaned forward with a slight smile. “I am a Muggleborn, too. When I found out about the situation of the House Elves from… well, how outspoken you’ve always been about the issue, I was shocked. It’s slavery.” 

“It’s shocked me when I first found out and I was a bit overzealous,” she said with a self deprecating smile. “I learned more about Elvish culture. It’s hard for them to step away from the path they have always known, just like it’s hard for us. Change is hard and not always something you always know you want.”

“Like the Purebloods?” Peg asked.

“Exactly. Muggleborns have proven their worth time and again. They seem to be learning.”

Peg smiled. “You inspired a generation.”

Hermione scoffed. “I inspired the magical community to get their heads out of their asses and respect us. Muggleborns have always been inspired. Same as Half Bloods,” she said, looking at Renata. “We know both worlds and can use our knowledge to be great innovators of Magic. It’s still a tad terrifying for the old regime, and I’ve been making great strides from the Department of Mysteries, but as you know that’s all a bit unspeakable.” She smiled at Renata. The girl smiled back at her.

“I’m really sorry to do this, but we really aren’t here to talk about me. We can if it helps, but Renata, I need to ask you some sensitive questions eventually. Will you be okay with that?”

“I can try,” the girl said. 

Hermione offered the girl a gentle smile. “That’s all I’ll ask. We can talk about other things until you feel ready though.”

Renata took a deep breath. “I think I am ready.” Peg put her arm around the girl’s shoulder. 

“Renata, we can stop at any point and you can request at any point for one of us to leave. We will leave and if it’s not with me we won’t monitor the discussions. You are safe.”

“Safe.” The girl let out a harsh bark of a laugh. “I thought Hogwarts was safe.”

“So did I when I went there and had year after year prove me wrong.” Hermione shrugged. “Hanging out with Harry Potter proved to be quite dangerous, but like you I thought it was safe now. I want to make it safe again and I want to make you feel safe again.”

“Can you really protect me?”

Hermione reached out slowly so the girl could pull away if she wanted and placed her hand on hers. “I am the Head of the Department of Mysteries. I am Hermione Granger, the Golden Girl and I will protect you whether you tell me anything or not. I’m not going to stop until justice is served. A girl died because of him. She killed herself.” She let out a breath of air. “I wish I knew before Samatha, before you.”

Renata looked down at her hands. “So, you know.”

“I don’t know. I need you to confirm what I think I know. Do you think we can we start with a name?”

XXXXXXXXX

Hermione kept up her interviews. She didn’t schedule any on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Same with New Years Eve and Day. 

She ruled a few out of the girls easily. She’d been tempted to rule out the girls outside of her suspect’s years of teaching, but knew it was too soon. They didn’t match the pattern that she had developed and had personal issues come up in their last years. Others unfortunately… she talked to them as carefully as she could. Some admitted the abuse through deep sobs or empty eyes. The rest pretended they didn’t know what she was talking about, but their eyes told her the truth. 

Her interviews were scheduled throughout the vacation, but that first one felt the most relevant. She’d learned more about his behavior and how he worked. The more the women had confided in others the more they were willing to talk to her. She’d gotten the name from more than one of the girls, but no real evidence besides the word of a few troubled young women. Most hadn’t really gotten back on their feet and had little credibility. Hatred filled her that their word wasn’t good enough.

The girls were still too scared and fragile. Merlin, they were so young. They’d break easily under the pressure. She’d need more before the Minister would authorize her team of Legilimens to have a go at him or even allow the use of veritaserum. They would have to do it by the book or else the evidence gathered from it could get thrown out at trial. The laws against the use of either of those things were quite strict.

It disgusted her, but she could see only one well respected witness and she hated that it was Ron. She dreaded the confrontation. Thankfully, she’d be seeing him soon. She’d been invited to the Burrow for Christmas, after all. After an urgent owl, Harry agreed to meet with her under the guise of last minute Christmas shopping.

They meandered through the shops of Diagon Alley, picking up trinkets and other last minute silly gifts. Harry kept shooting her concerned looks, but he knew to wait until they had some privacy. After a few hours, they took a private room at the Leaky Cauldron and ordered a bottle of Ogden’s Old Firewhiskey.

After they finished their first glass, Hermione sighed and filled their glasses again. “It’s about Ron.”

“I thought so.” He picked up his Firewhiskey with a glum face. “Is it about that girl?” He met her eyes.

Hermione sighed. “Yes.”

“He was wrong?”

She nodded into her glass. “Very, very wrong. I’ve found multiple victims and it’s bad.”

She could see Harry’s hand tighten around his glass. “Do you know who is doing it?”

“I believe so, but the witnesses haven’t exactly gotten their lives together after the abuse and wouldn’t be considered credible by the Magical community.”

“You think he confessed to Ron about the girl…”

“Samantha,” Hermione interrupted.

“Samantha,” Harry corrected. He looked into his drink. “You think if he admits that the perpetrator confessed to sleeping with her you can get Kingsley to authorize your team of Legilimens.”

“Or at least veritaserum,” Hermione said. “As much as I hate to say it, Ron is more credible by far than any of the girls. It’s unfair, but unfortunately they’d be considered gold-diggers or fame seekers.” She tossed back the rest of her drink. “Ron’s not going to take being wrong well.”

Harry threw back his drink as well and poured them another. “He won’t. Are you going to do it at Christmas?”

She took a sip of her drink. “I wanted your opinion on that actually. Should I lay the groundworks and set up a meeting or just ambush him?”

“He doesn’t do well with ambush.”

“I know. He doesn’t do well with embarrassment either. Will he be able to admit he let a serial rapist continue to work at Hogwarts?”

Harry shook his head. “Ron is a good man.”

“I know that.” Meeting Harry’s familiar eyes, “Will being a good man be enough this time?”

The Boy Who Lived looked away first, heart heavy. “I don’t know. But I have faith in him.” He blew out a deep breath. “I think you should go for the partial ambush. Present your evidence, but don’t pressure him into making a decision. Let his better self make the choice.”

Her best friend used to be so reckless. It made her smile to see how he had grown into a much more thoughtful and reasonable man, able to see the weakness in others. “I can do that.”

They sat in silence for awhile and finished their drinks. Even though their topic had been heavy, Hermione felt light from the drink and just being around her best friend. Her head fell forward and a laugh fell from her lips. She tilted her head to look at Harry. He met her eyes and his lips tilted into a smile and soon he was laughing as well. 

After a long moment, their laughter subsided. They looked at each other. They smiled again and Hermione launched herself at him. She hugged him as tight as she could. His arms wrapped around her and he squeezed just as tightly. “I’m glad I have you, Harry.”

“I’ll always be there for you,” Harry murmured into her hair. 

She sighed. “I know.”

“Christmas will be hard, but I will be there for you.”

“It’s gonna suck,” she said, breathing in his familiar cologne. Being around Harry always comforted her. Just being around him and seeing that he’d survived the war, comforted her PTSD. He died and then didn’t. His presence gave her so much comfort.

“It’s really going to suck,” he said, “but I’ll be there. I love you, Hermione.”

“I love you, too, Harry.”

They pulled back and gave each other a moment to recoup. They returned to their drinks as they lapsed into silence again and relaxed.

After a moment, Hermione looked at her friend and grinned. “I made out with Bellatrix Black.”

Harry looked constipated for a moment before he sputtered over his drink. “WHAT?”

XXXXXXXXX

Her arrival at the Burrow was full of big greetings, and Molly had been especially effusive. Ron had stayed a bachelor since the war, and plenty of girls fell all over him, but with the death of Lavender and Hermione’s rejection he’d just never settled down. It seemed likely that the woman still held onto hope that one day Hermione would change her mind about her son. 

Wrapped in the woman’s tight embrace, she made a face over her shoulder at Harry. He smirked. She melted into the hug a bit. She’d as good as lost her parents after obliviating them.

After dinner, she drew Ron away from the pack and led him outside to sit on a bench in the garden. The moon sat bright in the sky, casting shadows over them. She cast a few warming charms before she found his hand and gave it a squeeze. He looked at her hand and then back up. 

“It’s about Samantha.”

He frowned. “I closed that case.” He pulled his hand away.

“I know you think you did, but you didn’t. You know, I’ve been investigating at Hogwarts. I’ve found a pattern. Samantha wasn’t alone.”

“What?”

“It’s happening again. I think I’ve identified the girl and I’ve been keeping her as safe as I can. Over the holiday, I’ve interviewed a lot of girls with similar records and more than one have implicated a professor in their abuse.”

“Similar records?” he said sharply, “You mean mentally unwell?"

“Ron. I mean their records look exactly like Samatha’s did her final year. All of them are severely traumatized from abuse.” She grabbed his hand and held it tight when he tried to pull away. “Please trust me,” she pleaded. “If I tell you the name they gave, will you think about telling Kingsley what he told you?”

The moon lit his face and she could see the conflict. “This is nothing against you or your investigation. I don’t blame you, but I need to end this.”

“Do you have anything more than the words of some girls?”

She dropped his hand. “I hope to have your words, but Ron what if it had been Ginny or me?” she asked. “Would our stories have just been the words of some girls? I followed a trail and a pattern. I investigated. It wasn’t just random girls I questioned. Would it help if you talked to them?”

He looked away. “Hermione.”

“It’s okay to be wrong.”

“Not if I caused more pain.”

“That’s often the cost of being wrong, but it’s better to face it than let it continue. You can help me fix this. I won’t force you to make a decision tonight. I just wanted to talk to you about what I’ve found. Just think about it.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Okay. I trust you to do the right thing,” she said, standing up. She took a few steps away from him and said, “They all said it was Roger Davies. All of them.”

XXXXXXX

After the New Year with Harry and Ginny, with Ron conspicuously missing, she decided to take the initiative. She altered the memories just enough that he couldn’t make out their faces. Her memories of the broken girls went into a set of vials.

Ron had been living with George so she sent the twin an owl before she sent them out, as the Weasley twins had told her during the war they had a pensieve. Ron and Harry never knew how often she’d helped them with their pranks, helping them tweak them and make them ever so perfect. Even after they left, they often sent owls to her, as they appreciated her knowledge. It had been refreshing. 

It was part of why she sent an owl to George to meet for lunch. His trust and respect had always meant a lot to her. His response had been just as effusive as she expected. Even after the war, they kept up a healthy correspondence. She often felt like he used her as the mental replacement for Fred, but she never minded. She always responded. 

“Hiya, Hermione.”

“Oh, George.”

They smiled at each other as the waiter came to take their orders. They made small talk over their meals, but when they finished, Hermione gave him a brittle smile and he put down his cutlery.

“I have a hard request for you.” She said. “I need you to push Ron to watch the memories that I plan to send him. I’m just asking. You don’t have to and you can view them before he does, but it’s sensitive and faces have been altered to protect the girls in the memories.”

“Ron and I would never!”

“I know, but the one Ron is protecting would. Ron knows I am right. He’s just afraid to admit being wrong, but I’m just protecting those that talked.”

George sighed before he looked down. He knew his brother, but he also knew Hermione. Over the years, he and Fred had always thought Ron had too often treated her and Harry unfairly. As the youngest male Weasley, he could be a bit more like Percy than he’d ever admit. 

He didn’t have the creative genius of the twins, or the skill at curse breaking like Bill, or the skill with magical creatures that Charlie had. Hell, even Ginny was better on a broom. His claim to fame had been being friends with someone. The papers and country praised Hermione for being the brains, but Ron mostly got praised for just being there even with Hermione and Harry trying to prop him up. 

The fact he couldn’t truthfully claim to have stood with Harry the whole time ,ate at him. George only heard about the truth after Ron got really drunk one night and sobbingly admitted to his cowardice. Hermione and Harry had never said a word about it, and even when people reported having seen him during the year, they always denied Ron had left them. George wondered if that added to his guilt.

George ran his hand over his face. “I’ll talk to him.” 

XXXXXXX

After arriving back at Hogwarts a week early, Hermione sequestered herself away for the first few days, hoping Ron would write her. He didn’t.

Resigned, she made her way to the Headmistress’s office the day before the students came back. “Amato Amino Amimato Animagus, ”she said. She’d never say so, but she found Dumbledore’s passwords more entertaining.

The office had changed, more books filled the room and there were less magical instruments scattered about. McGonagall sat at her desk working on paperwork and barely looked up. Hermione sat in the comfy seat in front of the desk and stared down at her hands.

After a few minutes of silence, McGonagall looked up. Her eyes widened at the sight of her former student and she quickly put aside her work. “You’ve found something?” she asked, eyeing Hermione’s hair.

Hermione patted her slightly frizzy hair self consciously and nodded. “It’s Roger Davies.”

McGonagall pursed her lips. “You are certain?”

“I can’t prove anything yet. But it seems Ron has some information. I’ve been waiting on him to get permission to use veritaserum or my Legilimens, but he hasn’t…” she said. Her back straightened. She clenched her jaw. “I will get him.”

“So, what should I tell the other professors?”

Hermione leaned back and looked thoughtful. “Can you give Davies a project that would keep him from being alone with students?”

McGonagall nodded. “I will figure something out.” She frowned, thinking over the years he’d been teaching. How many possible victims. How much she must have missed.

“I have some other protections for the students and I’ve gotten the girls on the watch as well.”

“Do you have a female teacher in mind as the one who turned Samantha away?”

“Black is the most obvious.”

“Bella? Really?” McGonagall asked, eyes wide but then she shook her head. “I know she’s supreme pain in the arse, but no Hermione. She wouldn’t. She really cares about the students, she’d never be that callous.”

“She’d been giving her the large majority of detentions.”

“You should talk to or I guess interrogate her. I really can’t imagine she’d ever dismiss a matter of this importance. A few hexes tossed around sure, but this would hold weight for her.”

The thought of bringing up her attraction to the older witch occurred to her, but she decided against it. They couldn’t afford to be distracted against the real problem. She was a grown witch now after all.


	8. Chapter 8

Talking to McGonagall didn’t calm her down. They had briefly discussed Ron after talking about Black and the walk back to her room had her fuming and filled with too many emotions. All those girls’ stories and the prat couldn’t be bothered. Going to McGonagall made it real that he hadn’t come forward. It unsettled her.

“It’s okay if you aren’t, but you seem ready to blow,” Neville said.

Hermione wiped at her eyes. She looked away before looking at them straight on. “Davies is never to be alone with students. Ever. I have the Marauder’s Map and I’ve been keeping track of him, but the more eyes the better.” She was frustrated that she still couldn’t move forward and remove him.

Seeing Neville and Luna at her door had her near hexing them. Instead, she stormed past them and charmed a glass into one hand and her most potent liquor into the other. She poured glass and tipped it down her throat. She poured herself another and Luna gently removed the bottle from her hand while Neville took Hermione’s arm and led her to a chair.

She missed the complex theorems and the dark and quiet of the Department of Mysteries. The emotional turmoil of the last few months had finally caught up to her. 

“You ready to talk about why you are here?” Luna asked. 

Neville sighed. “Samantha?” Hermione gave a small nod. “I had a feeling. I’ve been keeping at eye out.”

“I can’t talk about it beyond what I’ve said so far. I know Ron questioned you about her, but I can’t confirm or deny anything else right now orf it could destroy my whole case.”

“Samantha? Samantha Morris?” Luna asked.

Hermione waved her glass at Neville for him to explain. As she’d said, the investigation kept her from saying much, but Neville knew enough. She focused on her drink and tuned out the conversation. 

“What does it have to do with Professor Black?” Luna asked, looking to Hermione.

“I never said it did.” 

“Than why are you so suspicious of her? Oh, wait you can’t say, can you?” Hermione tilted the glass at her. “You can trust Bella. As much as she likes to play up her persona, she cares about the students.”

It took a moment for what seemed like the most important part of her statement to hit her. Hermione blinked at her friend, as she processed it. “You call her Bella?” she asked her friend. Luna simply smiled. “She lets you? You’ve always called her Black before.”

“Black is just the more professional form of address,” Luna said, dreamily. “I’ve enjoyed many a night grading papers over a fire whiskey with Bella. We often work in tandem. DADA teaches about magical creatures as well. I help with consultation and acquisition.”

“She’s a pain in my ass.”

Luna leaned back into the chair, but her back was straight. “Bella is unique. If I thought you’d be bad for each other, I’d have told her to back off.”

“Would you if I asked?”

Her eyes searched through every piece of Hermione.

“You’d be a good match if you’d let yourself be.”

Hermione looked thoughtful before she frowned. “I can’t until this is over.”

Luna reached out and poked Hermione’s forehead with a finger. “Just ask her your questions. You aren’t stupid and neither is she. This can be closer to over if you just asked.” Luna fell back after dipping forward to boop her nose. 

Hermione took a long swig. “You know, sometimes, you make yourself more of a suspect.”

“If Neville and I pester you for hours do you think it would drive you to Bella’s rooms for answers?”

Hermione snorted. “Never.”

The woman’s dreamy voice hit her hard. “Challenge accepted, eh Neville?”

XXXXXXXXXX

Bellatrix growled as she swung her door open, ready to eviscerate whichever student or teacher dared haunt her door this late. Her mouth fell slightly open and her anger fell away immediately as she saw the usually straitlaced Unspeakable leaning precariously against her door jam. 

Hermione straightened a bit seeing Bella at the door. “I need to ask you a few questions.”

Bellatrix looked her up and down, not budging. “Officially?”

“Yes,” the woman said, pushing her way in. She flopped into one of the high-backed chairs near the fire. 

“You are drunk, Granger. Doubt the Ministry would consider this an official inquiry.”

The woman let out an unsophisticated snort. “I.. yeah. No, you are right. Fucking Neville and Luna.” Her hand covered her face. “I shouldn’t be here. Ugh. They just…” Her hand moved to her hair. “I need new friends,” she said, looking up at the older professor as she approached. “Wow, you are beautiful.”

Bellatrix shook her head with a bit of a smile. Never hurt to hear that. “Let me take you back to your rooms.” She grabbed Hermione’s arm and hoisted the woman back to her feet. Hermione stumbled a bit so she kept her hand on her arm to keep her steady. 

Hermione’s head turned towards her, sharply with eyes widened dramatically, and shook her head. “No. No. They are still there and they warded me out of my room.”

“So, I am to just put you up in my room?” Bellatrix asked, looking the drunk Professor over.

Hermione grinned salaciously. “Would you? Would you have me in your bed? You know what I’ve had a hard time forgetting?” She leaned forward much too fast towards Bella’s face, and only Bella’s quick reflexes kept their heads from crashing together. Bellatrix put her hand on her chest, keeping her in place. Hermione groaned pathetically.

Black leaned in, her lips near Hermione’s ear. “Only sober. I’d want you to remember every moment of me taking you.”

She fell into Black with a moan before pulling back. “Who says it wouldn’t be the other way around?” 

Black laughed. “I’d like to see you try.” She stroked the girl’s arms; she really would like to see that. “Let me get you some water,” she said, heading to her kitchen area. When she turned around, the girl was gone. 

With a groan, she poked her head into her bedroom. Hermione had sprawled herself spread eagle on her bed. She leaned back and stared at the sleeping witch. Even with her mouth hanging slightly open, she was beautiful.

Like hell she’d sleep on the couch. Outrageous, even the idea. She wanted the Muggleborn but…sleeping beside her seemed like a bad idea. Levicorpus to the couch? She put the water on the bedside table and pursed her lips. If the girl slept on the couch, she might manage to sneak out before she explained herself. Bellatrix had waited long enough to learn the truth and really didn’t want to have to chase after her again. 

The woman hadn’t even bothered to remove her shoes which Bella sniffed at. If her sisters could see her mooning over the Golden Girl as she took the woman’s shoes off, they would never let her live it down. 

She pulled the duvet back and rolled the woman onto the sheets and tucked the blanket over her. Granger pulled it tight around herself and made a cute little huffy noise as she rolled onto her side. Bella reached down and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. Her fingers drifted down and traced smooth cheekbones.

Shaking her head, she left the sleeping beauty and got ready for bed. Looking over her nightwear and then to her bed, she frowned in contemplation. She slept naked more often than not, even at Hogwarts. Her wards were impeccable, after all. That left her with her choice of skimpy nighties Narcissa bought her. A black silk one caught her eye and after she removed her dress and corset, she pulled it over her head. 

Her eye caught sight of herself in the mirror and she paused. She took herself in and was pleased with what she saw. It was too bad Granger was too drunk to appreciate seeing her in this. 

Throwing back the sheets, she slipped in between them. She took her excess pillows and layered a wall between them. It felt silly, but she couldn’t sleep well without something keeping them separated. If Granger decided to wake up and push for more, she’d be hard pressed to stop her. The pillow wall would help stop that. Perhaps prevent any cuddling. 

She awoke with a pillow across her lap and one leg in territory forbidden. The woman must have woken up and jostled Bellatrix awake. Her leg felt warm. She assessed the situation quickly. Hermione must have woken with her leg on her and freaked out. She slowly withdrew her leg back to her side. 

“We didn’t do anything,” she said into the dark, assuming the girl was still awake.

“I know.” Hermione pushed against the remaining pillows between them. “Can we move them?”

“I really don’t think that’s wise.” 

“Why?” Hermione asked, throwing her leg over the pillow, kicking Bella in the thigh.

Black let out a sigh and nudged. “Fine.” She pushed the pillows aside. “Just keep your hands to yourself.”

“I’d say the same, but I know you,” Hermione said, sleepily as she snuggled into the older woman, “I trust you.” 

Black stiffened for a moment before wrapping her arms around the woman and relaxed into the embrace. She let herself drift away to sleep, breathing the smell of the woman. .

XXXXXXXX

Hermione woke with the hangover to end all hangovers alone in an unfamiliar bed. Thoughts of murdering Luna and Neville filled her head once she recalled what had happened. Thankfully, it was Saturday and Black anticipated her hangover. The potion on the bed side table was downed gratefully. By the time she was competent, Hermione rolled over and let her feet hit the floor. She looked herself up and down and grimaced at the state of her robes. 

She made quick work of making herself decent. She really needed a shower, but gave a good try on tidying her hair. Without her potions it wasn’t her best work, but it would do. She chugged the glass of water left for her before leaving Black’s bedroom. 

The older woman briefly looked up from her copy of the Daily Prophet before turning her attention back to the newspaper. Hermione’s eyes drifted to the woman’s bare legs as she crossed them much too seductively for Hermione’s half dead brain to comprehend. That little negligee should be illegal. 

The table was full of breakfast food, way more than Black could consume alone, so Hermione took a seat without a word and grabbed a scone. She picked up a discarded bit of the Prophet and unfolded it in front of her.

“Are you going to interrogate me officially this time or are we pretending to be a disgruntled married couple now?” Black asked after a few minutes passed. 

Hermione’s only response was to lift the paper higher without a word. Bellatrix could see she was still processing, so uncharacteristically she leaned back and let it go for the moment. “Disgruntled couple, it is then,” she mumbled. Hermione continued to eat her scone without reacting and brushed up on the current news. 

Eventually, she put down the paper. She rolled her neck and let out a large sigh. “I’m sorry.” After a moment, Black looked over her paper. “Clearly, I made a fool of myself last night. I apologize,” Hermione said, meeting the older woman’s eyes. 

Her amusement could clearly be seen. Her curls fell around her face and Hermione flushed. “At least you were entertaining.” Hermione groaned. “And a good bed companion… even if you insisted on cuddling and telling me how often you think about kissing me.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “You are such an asshole.”

Bellatrix smirked. “Do you really think about our kiss? Often? I do. Usually alone in my bedroom.”

Another blush stole across her face and she looked away. “Can I ask you a serious question?”

“For real official?” Bellatrix asked. Hermione rolled her eyes again.

Hermione sighed. “Samantha Morris. What did you do to her in detention?” The things Black had said when she thought she was a cat played in her head. The guilt.

Black’s eyes narrowed. “I never had her in detention. I usually pass the students over to their Head of House if I can. They can have the hard talks. Davies actually prefers to do the detentions for Ravenclaws.”

“So, you never had a detention with Samantha?”

“I only waste my time on Slytherin students or the ones that really piss me off. Morris never fit that bill. She just skimped on homework and that’s usually because of a personal issue. I eventually took one of her detentions and tried to talk to her, but I got brushed off and I passed the issue to Davies.” 

Hermione let out a breath of air. Bellatrix’s head snapped back to look at her. “Can I see?” she asked, pointing to her head. 

“You want to play inside my mind? Why? What’s it to you?”

“You show me what I want to see and I’ll tell you.”

“Give me something that makes it worthwhile.”

Hermione thought for a moment. Black could be the co-conspirator and this moment could matter to her investigation. “Hogwarts has a serial sexual predator on the staff and I’m here to stop him.”

The older woman gasped and fell back with her hand covering her mouth. “Why didn’t we know? At least the women?”

“I need to see first.”

“You think I was complicit in the abuse? A woman has been implicated?”

“Once you are clear, I can tell you.”

“Ugh, fuck.” Black rubbed her chin. “If I feel you going anywhere else, you are out.” 

“So you’ll do it?”

“Yeah and I might murder you after. But do it. I want read in immediately,” Black said, meeting her eyes defiantly.

“Fair enough. Legilimens,” she cast, and fell into Bellatrix’s memories. 

Her Legilimency teacher had once told her she was a natural at finding what she needed to know. The way her brain was structured allowed her to process the memories faster than most people and keep her focused and direct on the targeted memories. She’d been taught how to read cursory thoughts by meeting a subject’s eyes, but always thought it was a gross invasion of privacy. It always disgusted her that Dumbledore used to do it to teenagers.

Samantha was the only thing she focused on and it seemed Black knew Occlumency quite well which made it even easier as she pushed those memories to the front of her mind. She flitted through the girl’s sixth year just to get a sense of their interactions before she moved on to the girl’s final year. It all fit with what Black had told her. She found the memory of the detention where she tried to reach the girl. It honestly looked more like an interrogation than an intervention, but the woman had been an Auror after all so it wasn’t surprising.

Davies’ assurances seemed sincere, but she could see that Black had her doubts. She flitted through her interactions with Samantha after. She couldn’t find a single one of them alone and she went through them all. The girl avoided her after that. Black still gave detentions, but she seemed a bit less inclined. She pressed and reviewed memories she watched prior to see if she could find altering, but she couldn’t find any deceit.

She pulled out before Black accidentally sent her into a memory she didn’t want her to see. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, she would have surely been submitted to watching their kiss from Black’s perspective. Her head dropped for a moment before she looked at the other professor. Their eyes met before Hermione looked away.

“Satisfied?” Black asked.

Hermione breathed out. “Roger Davies is a serial rapist and a female professor was informed, but told the victim to forget about it.”

“You thought I would do that.” Black’s hands clenched into fists.”You really thought that about me… wow. That says a lot about what you think about me.”

“I couldn’t trust anyone.” Hermione frowned. “I have to do this right. I investigated fucking Luna and at this point, I’ve told you more than her.”

“Because you got drunk.”

“Because she got me drunk and sent me to you.”

“She did? Hmm.” Black exhaled and shook her head. “Fucking Lovegood. She’s matchmaking again, isn’t she?”

“She did say we’d be a good match.”

“That girl,” she growled.

“Has she tried to match you before?” Hermione asked, feeling a hint of jealousy. 

“Not me, but there have been others. Hooch and McGonagall probably would never have gotten their shit together without Luna.”

Her laugh surprised them both and they smiled at each other. Hermione’s face grew serious. 

“He started grooming a new girl, Eliza Shafiq, but I believe my presence has made him nervous. I’ve taken her under my wing so to speak.”

“How else are you protecting her and the other girls? How can I help? What is your plan to take down Davies and find the teacher?”

“Slow down. I had been inspired by the Weasley twins use of shield charms on clothes. I created a different version.”

“You charmed an item of her clothing? Against what?”

“Memory charms. He alters memories and uses other memory charms, leaving just enough to terrorize them. He’s a sick, sick man.”

“What did you charm that she’d have on her at all times in his presence?”

“Her shoes,” Hermione said, with a smile.

“Clever. The brightest witch of her age strikes again. It’s why you’ve been cozying up to the students, too and making sure they know they can trust you.”

“The girls know to never be alone with the male teachers. Especially Davies now. They don’t know specifics, but they trust me and well, girls know the gist of what is going on when they are warned off about men. It’s spread to the boys as well by now, I’m sure. Have you ever heard about the Maurader’s Map?” Black nodded. “I’ve been stalking him. He doesn’t get more than a moment alone with any of the female students.”

“And you are sure it’s Davies? Even with those memory charms?”

“I am an expert Legilimens. I can tell true memories apart from faked ones and one of the girls let me look.”

“Why haven’t you taken him in with multiple witnesses?”

“The girls… you know how it can be. I need someone credible to back them up or they won’t be believed. His lawyer will claim the use of memory charms on girls of that age would surely have broken their minds. None of them have really bounced back. With their grades tanking their last year and all…”

“You have someone in mind? The teacher?”

“Still haven’t figured out the teacher, hence my distrust of you,” Hermione said. “Actually, the Auror who was sent to investigate Samantha in the first place.”

“There’s been an investigation already? Why wasn’t the staff informed?”

“The men were all interviewed.”

“But what of the female teacher?”

“The investigation was crap. It’s why I am here. Minerva had been unimpressed and when I went digging I was as well.”

“Who was the incompetent fool who conducted the investigation?”

The Unspeakable averted her eyes.

“Hermione?”

She let out large exhale. “Ronald Weasley.”


	9. Chapter 9

Black was less than impressed and Hermione could see it in her face. Her eyes wandered down to bare legs again and back up to the cleavage on display before she met the woman’s eyes again. Black probably thought it would be good to be scantily clad to get her distracted, but Merlin, she was distracted. 

“So, you are stuck waiting for the Weasel until I turn up something better.” Black smiled. “My eyes are up here,” she said, pointing at her face.

Hermione frowned and ignored her comment. “Ron is not a Weasel. I believe in him and, oh, you will really turn up something better? Faster? Really?”

“How long?” Black demanded, “How long has it been since you confronted him? It should have been an immediate decision. He’s an Auror for bloody sake. What’s he playing at? Ego?” 

She took a sip of her Firewhiskey. It was still early afternoon, but Hermione had nodded when Black had pulled out the bottle after she told her about Ron. They both needed a drink. 

“My, how the standards have dropped.”

“Didn’t you help train him?” Hermione snarked over her own glass.

“I did. Only because I was pissed they let him skip his NEWTs. I needed to make sure hero worship didn’t ensure he got to coast through his training.”

Hermione smiled. “I know. I made sure he took his head out of ass about your training. He whinged about it constantly at first.”

“It seems he only takes his head out of his arse if you make him.”

“I’m trying now, aren’t I? Harry’s doing what he can, too.”

“And you still believe in him?” 

“After what we went through together, it would be hard to give up on him. He does listen, I just think he’s been listening to the wrong people lately. You know how some of those Aurors can be. Boys will be boys. Harry’s succeeding in ways he isn’t and so he’s been falling in with the wrong sort.”

“I know the type.” Black took a long pull on her drink. “You think your influence is stronger than theirs?”

“I hope so. Harry probably has his sister in on it, too. I near about went to his mom.”

Unfortunately, Black could offer no new insight into the behaviors of the teachers after they moved on from Ron. She didn’t know what teacher the girl could have confided in. She didn’t know her that well. Samantha was a Ravenclaw after all and never caught her attention much before her final year.

As much as Ron failed the investigation the first time, not all Aurors were incompetent and she appreciated an experienced Auror’s perspective. They spent hours going over what Hermione knew and had discovered. It disappointed her that the older woman couldn’t provide her some loophole or something, but it at least made her feel like she’d done a good job so far.

After they lapsed into a bit of silence, Black got up and picked up the bottle of Ogden’s and poured them refills. They had slowed down as they debated the different aspects of the case. “How about we get knackered and snog on my couch?” 

Hermione snorted and picked up the glass. “I agree to the knackering.”

“Two days in a row. What would Minerva think?” Black said with a mischievous smirk.

“It’s been a rough few months. She’d understand.” Hermione held up her glass. “Besides, that woman has drunken me under the table more than once. She knows when a drink is necessary.”

“Now that we’ve cleared that up,” Black said, bringing a hand up and lightly tracing Hermione’s face with her knuckles. “Do you trust me now?”

Hermione looked down. Black reached forward and tilted her head up again.”Oi, why not? You’re acting like I’m Undesirable #1 or something. Why is it so hard for you to trust me? You’ve seen inside my head. What more does it take?”

Hermione shifted and Black’s hand fell away. She leaned forward into Black’s space. “I didn’t see anything else.”

“I know.”

A glass lifted in between them and Hermione maintaining eye contact took a sip. Black bit back a groan at the sight of the woman’s throat moving. Her mouth fell open and Hermione’s eyes fell to her lips. 

“Can I bed you now?”

“Who says I’m in the mood?”

Black reached out and dragged her fingers down the woman’s forearm. “I’m sure I can get you in the mood.” She felt the tremor that went through the Unspeakable’s body and was sure she had it in the bag. Then the woman pulled away and stood up. 

“You are still under assessment. My refusal isn’t just based on trust.”

“That was just a bullshit excuse to investigate the rapist and the teacher.”

“It’s still part of my job, I do still work for the Ministry. I need to be irreproachable.”

Black rolled her eyes. “So, you’re still just a Ministry slag.”

Hermione let out a laugh. “Because I won’t fuck you?”

“Because you won’t fuck me because of the Ministry. Or is that just an excuse?” she said, standing as well. 

“Bloody best Auror of the century can’t fucking figure it out?” Hermione spat out as the woman drew closer. “You of all people know what they would say if it came out that we had sex before my investigation concluded. The assessment is one thing. It is a bit of a sham, but I will have justice for those girls and I won’t fuck it up for a good shag.”

Black moved in and Hermione knew she should make her escape, but she hesitated. 

“A great shag,” Black said.

“Be that as it may.”

“Say it again.”

“Say what?”

“You know what I want you to say,” she said, wrapping her arm around the other woman’s waist and pulling her in. Black kissed her before she could truly protest and once the woman’s soft pouty lips were on hers. All argument fell away again as it had the first time. A swipe of a wicked tongue had her lips parting. Black deepened the kiss and their tongues stroked each other sensuously. 

Hermione tangled her hands in the dark curls while Black’s hands trailed all over her body. She took Black’s bottom lip in between her teeth and sucked on it. Black’s subsequent moan spiked her arousal so thoroughly, she knew that if Black reached under her skirt, she’d feel it through her panties. That thought only made it worse.

“Fuck.” Hermione broke off. They stared at each other panting.

“You’d be a great shag,” Hermione breathed. She pulled away. “But I can’t.”

She made it to the door before Black said, “I suppose I’ll have to wait until you stop calling me Black in your head.”

Ice seeped into Hermione’s veins and she froze as she kept her back to the woman. “What did you say?”

“My name is Bellatrix. You don’t even use it in your head.”

“You’ve been in my head?” Hermione asked, slowly turning back to her. “Especially after the fuss from earlier. You’ve been in my head,” she said. Her hands clenched. “How fucking dare you?”

“Like you haven’t been taking peeks? I know how Unspeakables work.”

Hermione grit her teeth. “How dare you? I didn’t want to believe you were the one that did that to the student, but it’s so easy for you to believe something like that of me. I would never do that. The very thought of invading someone’s privacy like that disgusts me.”

“What do I disgust you now?”

Hermione turned her head and sneered at her. “You know what. You fucking do. You can just fuck off, Black.”

She let the door slam shut hard behind her.

XXXXXXXXX

The Black Sister gathering came at an opportune time. Bellatrix had too many feelings about Granger and the mind-fucking so of course her sisters spotted her agitation right away. She explained it carefully avoiding talk of the investigation, but just that they had worked out their differences.

Narcissa sighed. “You fucked up in the very conversation you fixed things?”

“I didn’t! I thought she read my mind so I read hers. Just service level, honestly. I don’t know why she’s freaking out so much,” Bella said, groaning. “All the other Unspeakables did it.”

“Hermione takes her mind and others very seriously. She would never without permission,” Andromeda said. 

“So she said, rather forcefully,” Bella grumbled. 

Andromeda laughed. “Just apologize already you fucking asshole.” 

“Blacks don’t apologize,” she said, looking to Narcissa.

Narcissa smiled. “We don’t.” She stared Bella down. “But you need to fix this. I’ve booked a location for the wedding.”

“You have got to be joking.” She looked to Andromeda. “She’s joking?”

“No.” Andromeda laughed. “I hope you and Hermione enjoy a fall wedding.”

“I won’t apologize. So stop. It’s not going to happen,” she said, looking toward Andromeda.

Andromeda laughed. “She won’t stop no matter what I do.”

Narcissa folded her hands in front of her. “Fix it. She’s you a perfect match for you.”

“A Muggleborn,” Bellatrix said, raising her eyebrows at her youngest sibling.

“The new lady Black will be the greatest Muggleborn of all time,” Narcissa said. 

“Father is spinning in his grave,” she said, shaking her head. “Besides Granger wouldn’t marry me. She’s going to be Minister. I’m hardly helpful to her political career.”

“Actually marrying into one of the oldest Pureblood families would give her more access than she’d have simply as a war hero.”

“She’s more than that.” 

Andromeda aww’ed at that. 

“Your money wouldn’t hurt her either,” Narcissa insisted. 

“She has plenty of money.”

“Bellatrix, just fix it. Whatever you have to do. Apologize if you must.” Narcissa reached for her hand. Bellatrix looked down at their hands. “This is for your own good. You deserve this. You’ve been alone for too long up there in that castle.” 

Bellatrix frowned. “I’m just fine alone.”

“But you’d be better with her. Happier.”

Andromeda nodded. “Don’t tell us you wouldn’t be happier with Hermione.”

“Just because she wants to fuck me doesn’t mean she would actually want to be with me like you are implying. She won’t even be at Hogwarts next year and it’s not easy to date a professor.”

“Let alone you,” Andromeda added, searching her face. “You are worthy of the Golden Girl, Bella and that’s coming from one of her friends.”

Bellatrix sighed. “What do I really have to offer her?”

“Plenty, Bella. Plenty.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Monday came around and after a sad bitter weekend holed up in her quarters, Hermione felt ill equipped to deal with her students. Of course, she still ended up stuck sitting next to Black at the faculty table even after she asked Luna and Neville to find her a spot. Their faces said they tried their best, but that Black had not left them much choice. It left her both flattered and annoyed and she wished she’d simply dined in her rooms. 

Her mood soon settled on annoyed as Black started talking at her about different theories of Transfiguration. It pissed her off that she thought she could still use her weakness against her. The woman understood her interests and kept poking at her when she didn’t respond. The woman knew what she liked and Hermione wondered how much of that was because she’d been looking through her thoughts when her shields were down. The thought enraged her enough that it made it that much easier to ignore her.

Luna helped her escape by approaching Black as the meal ended over her upcoming boggart use. Before Black could extricate herself, Hermione had made herself scarce and escaped. 

Her first class went well enough, but then the bloody older years came in. The whispers about her ignoring Black at the breakfast table cost them in house points. If it wasn’t true, she’d be less fucking pissed. It made her despise Black all the more, but now they were on the same side and she was extra fucked because she should talk to her. 

After that morning, she skipped all meals in the Great Hall out right and managed to avoid being alone with Black for a few days. Black seemed unable to stay away and kept trying to play like nothing had happened. She wasn’t the type to apologize and Hermione had no intention of forgiving or moving on without one.

Black made it to Friday night before she finally appeared at her door. She made to come in, but Hermione blocked the door with her arm before crossing her arms across her chest and leaning against the door. The older professor looked her up and down taking in the Muggle sweat pants and loose soft looking sweater that hung off her shoulder before rolling her eyes and shoving passed her into the room.

“I’m not doing this in the hallway, Granger.”

Hermione scoffed. “Why for even a moment did I expect that you’d respect my space?”

“I haven’t the faintest,” Black said, inspecting the dirt underneath her fingernails.

“If this is how you are going to be, then just leave. I don’t want to hear it,” she said, gesturing out the door she still hadn’t shut. 

Black looked away and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

Hermione leaned forward. “Do you even know why you are supposedly sorry?”

“Yes, now will you shut the door so we can talk?”

Looking unimpressed, Hermione leaned back with narrowed eyes. 

“I’m a fucking idiot, okay. I thought we were playing a game.” Her voice softened and she looked down. “Please shut the door. I’m sorry. Please.” 

The pleading frankly surprised Hermione. She tongued her check and looked down before slowly turning around and easing the door shut. “Sit,” she said. 

With the rate she was going through Ogden’s this year, she was going to need to invest. Half the company probably belonged to Black. She filled two glasses and brought them over. The two glasses sat between them; they eyed each other carefully. 

Finally, Hermione said, “Well, go on then. A game? What did you mean?”

Black picked up her glass and sighed. “In the Auror’s office, it was well known that Unspeakables were all trained and constantly scanning our thoughts. We all kept our brains closed as traps when you lot were in, except to tease. Dirty thoughts and the like. Quite a few office liaisons started that way.” She looked down into her glass. 

“I thought… well,” she looked up and shot Hermione a crooked grin. “I sent quite a few of those your way and here you were just getting flustered by little ole me. That’s quite flattering.”

Hermione flushed, remembering all the eye contact. Black stood and brought the bottle over with her filling their glasses again giving Hermione a moment to collect herself. The red from her cheeks had receded a touch as Hermione took her glass back. Their fingers brushed in the exchange and the blush that had nearly faded flared up again, imagining what those fingers could do to her.

“Look, I’m sorry for invading your mind,” she said, sitting down again, dangling her glass. “I should have known that you weren’t the sort for that kind of thing. Early on you read me so dead on, I thought you were reading me and I thought… you wanted to play the game. I got too caught up in my flirtation to realize. Do you forgive me?” 

With a hum, Hermione took a gulp of the firewhiskey, enjoying the burn. “Only if you tell me what I got so right you thought I was reading your mind.” She waved her glass. “And never again without my permission.”

Bellatrix groaned. “Oh, come on!”

Hermione grinned cheekily. “You saw private thoughts I didn’t intend to share. Besides you thought I already knew it.” 

“Ugh.” Black groaned as she fiddled with the bottle on the table. “Fine.” She huffed. “I was thinking I need to stop thinking of you as a girl when you are clearly a woman and then you told me not to fuck with you because you were a badass woman not a girl.”

Hermione laughed. “I see.”

Bellatrix’s lips quirked and held up her glass for Hermione to clink against. “Never again.”

Sealing the deal, by tapping her glass against Black’s. She gave the older woman a tentative smile before sipping to the toast.

“Can I bed you now?” Black asked, with a roguish smile over her glass.

Hermione nearly choked on her whiskey. “Black!”

The older woman threw her hands up. “It was just a joke!” she said. “I mean if you wanted to, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed.”

Hermione glared, clearing her throat. “Is sex all you think about, Black?”

“Would you call me Bella or at least Bellatrix,” she asked, swirling her whiskey, “Hermione?”

Hearing her name from the other woman’s lips sent a shiver down her spine and goosebumps raised up over her arms and neck.

“Will you try and think of me as such at least?” she said, after Hermione’s hesitation. “I really think we could be friends.”

“I can try,” she hesitated before saying, “Bellatrix.” The older woman’s face lit up.

She lifted her glass up in salute. “Thank you.”

They sat in a comfortable silence drinking their whiskey feeling oddly at ease with each other. Finally, Hermione couldn’t help herself and she started rambling about the damned Transfiguration theories that had been bouncing around in her head since Bellatrix had brought them up on Monday. The other woman burst into laughter and slapped the table. 

“You are too easy, Hermione.”

“Oh, shut it. You wish I was easy. It’s not like you didn’t do it on purpose!”

“Of course I did, but really that article in Transfiguration Today about the side effects of sustained Transfiguration was pure bollocks and you know it.” They easily fell into a heated discussion, bouncing ideas and alternative theories at each other. Both quietly thrilled in having another academic equal to interact with. They reveled in the fact they didn’t have to dumb down what they were saying for the other to understand.


	10. Chapter 10

They ended up getting completely wrecked as they argued, moving from Transfiguration to Charms back to Transfiguration and how it could be mixed with Charms. Books were pulled off her shelves and scattered around her coffee table. House elves were sent to Bellatrix’s room for books Hermione didn’t have on hand. Some she’d never even heard of before. Parchment had Transfiguration theorems and equations filled with runes of all sorts, written in sloppy, blotted ink. 

Bellatrix dropped off first, sprawled across her couch. The book she’d been reading fell from her hand and onto the floor where Hermione sat, leaning against the couch. The thump of it hitting the ground startled her from the squinting she’d been doing at a complicated Charms textbook Bellatrix had near thrown at her. Her eyes had given up on focusing some time ago, but she hadn’t been quite ready to give up the ghost entirely.

“Bellatrix?” Blearily, Hermione turned her head and looked up at the woman. The Defense teacher looked so peaceful in sleep. Curly hair, scattered around her face like a dark halo. With a grin, she dragged herself up by the arm of the chair. She made to grab at the blanket on the back to cover the woman, when Bellatrix flailed her arm at her and down she went on top of the woman. Without even truly waking, the woman somehow managed to get Hermione sprawled across her, wrapped in her arms and pressed into the crook of her neck.

“Bellatrix, no,” Hermione groaned. 

“Bellatrix, yes,” came the soft sleepy reply. Hermione couldn’t even be sure it wasn’t just Bellatrix’s subconscious responding. 

She struggled weakly, but she felt too drunk and content against the warm soft body. Lazily, Hermione reached behind her and the arms around her tightened. “Blanket,” she murmured. The arms squeezed again before slacking enough for her to reach behind her and pull the blanket on them. It was still folded and only ended up covering part of both of them. Her strength had been completely exhausted by grabbing the blanket and figured that was good enough. Maybe a House Elf would be kind enough to fix it for them. She needed to give Twinkle a raise.

The arms around her tightened again and she buried her face in Bellatrix’s neck, breathing her in. No woman had the right to smell that good after drinking the night away. There wasn’t much time to contemplate that before she was also asleep.

XXXXXXXXX

Morning came and went before either of them stirred. Bellatrix’s shifting as she woke caused Hermione to wake. Sleepily, they inclined their heads toward each other.

“I would make a witty comment about you being on top, but I’m too hungover,” Bellatrix said. “TWINKIE!”

“UGH, THE FUCK. Not so loud,” Hermione groaned, burying her head in Bellatrix’s neck.

A House Elf appeared with a loud Pop that caused them both to wince. Hermione peeked at the Elf she vaguely recognized from the night before, 

Bellatrix waved her hand weakly. “Hangover potion.”

“Please,” Hermione said. The Elf smiled at Hermione and apparated out. “I can’t believe your Elf is named after a Muggle snack.”

“So you said a million times last night and yes, I remember your Elf’s name is Twinkle.” Bellatrix groaned and stretched, jostling Hermione who moved to get up. Too quick for a hungover person, Bellatrix grabbed her and pulled her back down. “At least until she’s back with the potion. She’ll be back quick, especially since you said please.” 

Hermione grumbled, “I have to pee.” But Bellatrix just snorted, holding tight. Hermione sighed before relaxing into the woman’s arms.

Less than a minute later, the Elf reappeared and Bellatrix finally freed her. She sat up, knees on either side of Bellatrix’s waist and took the potion, downing it as Bellatrix downed hers as well. They both sighed in relief. 

Hermione flipped her frizzy hair over her shoulders and stretched her arms behind her head, arching her back, inadvertently pushing her chest into Bellatrix’s face as the other woman sat up. Hermione glanced down and Bellatrix grinned mischievously up at her, sliding her hands up to her hips. 

“I could get used to waking up like this,” Bellatrix said, squeezing gently, before rubbing her sides with her thumbs. 

Hermione smiled before putting her hands over Bellatrix’s and slowly peeled them off her hips. “You are so full of shit,” she said, shaking her head, ruefully. “What did you used to call it back when you were an Auror?” She placed her finger on her lips. “Ah, yes. I remember. Fuck and duck. I’m not stupid,” she said, tapping Bella’s chest. “If you’re lucky and you get the chance…” She placed her hands on either side of Bella’s head and leaned in. “And we fuck,” she husked into her ear. She hummed suggestively and rolled her hips slightly. “Well…” 

She pushed back up and smiled at the dazed look on the older professor’s face. Her lips were slightly parted and Hermione licked her own at the sight. She swung her leg over Bellatrix’s waist before the woman could regain her senses and make another grab for her. 

She climbed off awkwardly, stretching again as she made her way to the bathroom an extra swing in her step. Her hand had reached the knob when Bellatrix caught up to her. She spun her around and pushed her against the wall next to the door. 

Their bodies melded together and Hermione let out a groan. Her stunt on the couch had left her aroused and this was torture. Her head fell back against the wall. Both of them were breathing hard. Bella leaned in and ran her lips up Hermione’s neck to her ear. She let out a breathy laugh. “It surprises even me, but I actually meant it,” she whispered. “I could get used to it.” 

She left Hermione stunned against the wall and opened the bathroom door. Bellatrix shot Hermione a wink and before Hermione could offer a protest, she closed the door. 

“But I have to pee…” she said, sighing. “Fucking Slytherins,” she muttered, wiggling a little against the wall. She groaned and squeezed her thighs together.

The trail along her neck where Bellatrix’s lips had been, burned. That laugh and whisper echoed in her ear. She banged her head against the wall. “Fucking woman.” Emotional whiplash anyone?

She looked around the wreckage of her room. What looked like a scorch mark marred the top of her desk. A piece of parchment on the floor caught her attention. It seemed like a good distraction so she picked it up, examining the contents. She forgot her straining bladder in shock, mouth falling open.

Bellatrix came out of the bathroom. “All yours.” She hesitated at the look on Hermione’s face. “You okay?”

Hermione looked up, waving the parchment. “Did we create a new spell?” 

Bellatrix tilted her head, squinting. “Maybe?” She held her hand out for the parchment. It had mixture of their scrawls. Bellatrix grabbed another piece of parchment off the table, scanning the formulas. A large grin slowly formed on her face. “Holy fuck. I think we did.”

Hermione grinned back.

“We make a good team.”

Hermione shook her head and made her way to the bathroom. “We do,” she said, softly before closing the door.

XXXXXXXX

After the Greengrass situation, Davies had avoided Hermione, but after the obvious thaw between the two of them, the next day he suddenly appeared everywhere for the poor woman. He replaced her in the stalking through the halls though Bellatrix did still seek her out and trying to sit next to her at meal times and Bellatrix still did that as well. 

They decided their combined forces were making him nervous. The countdown until she took him down was getting closer every day and he seemed to be feeling the heat.

He’d somehow heard about the new spell they created and thought as Charms Professor Hermione owed him a detailed explanation of how they came to developing it. He insisted that his academic friends were frothing at the bit to hear about it and wanted a meeting with her never mentioning Bella of course. 

Bellatrix thought it was hilarious and insisted she accept a meeting with him and neglect to tell him that she would be joining them. Bellatrix was sure the tool would make it as date like as possible.

“You and I both know he’s going to do it that way. He’s shoring up his defenses. If you appeared to have gone on a date with him, he could use it to discredit you after you bring him down.” They were sitting in Hermione’s room grading papers together as had started to be a regular thing.

The prick certainly had the arrogance to think Hermione’d be fooled by that kind of bullshit. The woman knew better than to bank on her reputation over the court of public opinion. The press had been looking for a way to tear her down to normal human levels for years. Rita Skeeter sure liked to hold a grudge. She couldn’t get away with her usual bullshit without Hermione exposing her, but she knew Hermione wouldn’t expose her if she talked about something that actually happened. Too moral. 

“Don’t get mad at me, but I was sitting in the booth behind you when you met with him at The Three Broomsticks,” Bellatrix sheepishly admitted. “He’s a prick.”

Hermione tilted her head, thinking over that interaction. Sheepish looked good on the older Professor if seemingly so out of character. Maybe, why she liked it. “I forgive the eavesdropping. Hard to help when we didn’t cast a silencing charm.”

Bellatrix tapped her quill against the assignments and looked off. “I have a question for you and it’s hard and war related so if you don’t want to go there, I don’t even have to actually ask.” Hermione narrowed her eyes at that, but then her brain caught up to what she thought was the issue. 

“Andy didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“Who killed Tonks ,or well Nymphadora. She cursing me in the afterlife for using that name. I’m sure after you heard that conversation you drew the connection. I’m just surprised Andy didn’t tell you.”

“I didn’t ask,” Bellatrix said, quietly. 

“Dolohov. Greyback got Lupin. I killed them both.”

Bellatrix let out a breath and looked down. “Thank you.” Her hands clenched and unclenched and she let out a soft sob that broke Hermione’s heart. Tonks had always talked about her aunt and Hermione knew how close they were. 

Hermione stood and came around the table. “Bellatrix,” she said as Bella turned toward her. She opened her arms. “Come on, you jerk. Up.” Bellatrix stood and Hermione wrapped her arms around her. She pulled the woman into her and the shorter woman pressed her face into Hermione’s neck.

It took her a moment to understand the murmured, “Thank yous,” into her neck. She squeezed the woman tighter. The amount of vulnerability being shown from the indomitable woman squeezed her heart tight and she really didn’t want her to throw up walls to keep her out when she let her go. 

Bellatrix sniffed and pulled back. She took some deep breaths. After a breath, she looked up at Hermione with sad eyes. Hermione met her eyes with gentle care.“How did you become friends with my sister, anyway?” Hermione smiled at her. 

She gave Bellatrix a shove and they slid onto the same side of the couch. She pressed her body into the other woman’s as they both reached for their glasses again. Being next to her allowed the woman to recuperate from her vulnerability without having to look her in her face.

“Tonks was a good friend,” she said, taking a sip. “Talking to Andy after was a given. She deserved to know. We found common ground and became friends after. She’s a brilliant healer. I consulted with her often over the last few years.”

“She never said,” Bellatrix said, looking over at the woman beside her. “Just that you were friends.”Hermione didn’t look back, too clearly lost in her own recollection. Hermione had seen more dead bodies than anyone her age should. Merlin, more than anyone should. Fuck she’d killed people younger than even Bellatrix had been and no one should have to kill. When her eyes found Hermione’s again, she didn’t feel the discomfort she expected. Her sisters were the only ones that had ever seen that level of vulnerability from her, but Hermione felt like someone she could trust and it was terrifying.

But Tonks had terrified her well. She loved her ridiculous Metamorphmagus niece to a ridiculous degree and then she died, crushing a bit of her heart. But Tonks had loved the woman beside her. She’d been regaled with stories over the years about the Golden Girl. Hermione was so very special and she suddenly believed in that moment she’d really found her match. She felt something she hadn’t felt since she was a child. Hope. 

Fucking Tonks wouldn’t have stopped the cougar jokes until the end of time. 

Their eyes met and Bella knew she was giving too much, but she couldn’t help herself. The brown sucked her in and she fell deep. She was a second away from giving into Narcissa’s wishes and asking the woman to spend the rest of her life with her when Hermione blinked and pulled back. 

Bellatrix took a deep breath. Hermione had a mission. A noble mission. She shook her head and drove out the creeping thoughts.

Bella turned the conversation and kept Hermione amused with how they could embarrass Davies the most, until she finally got the girl to agree to go out with him. She knew this could give the man the push to expose himself. 

It surprised Hermione how easy he believed she’d been fooled. It did worry Bella a bit that he just took her belief at face value, but after all the man had been sorted into Ravenclaw, not Slytherin so not a schemer. 

Knowing she’d be with her would made her feel more secure even as she worried. Harry Potter had been the second choice and she’d help train the man and would trust him to this, but Merlin didn’t want to. It was Hermione. She was glad to be there. A snake would be able to spot the plot before any lion. 

Bellatrix had called in a few favors and tracked down his reservation at an exclusive and romantic restaurant. Black money really came in handy. It also got her the info that Davies had tipped off a photographer from the Prophet about the meeting. He promised that if the photographer waited on publishing the photos that it would be worth his while in the long run. 

They debated on whether they should go full on with embarrassing him or play along with his fake story. Bellatrix compromised with a mixture of the two. Hermione would play along with Davies as he escorted her to meet his “academic friends” and Bella would be waiting for them at the restaurant. 

After classes on Thursday, she met with Davies in the Great Hall, wearing her own charmed shoes and made the trip down to Hogsmeade. Just outside the Three Broomsticks, he turned toward her and apologized for his behavior the last time again. A couple Floo trips later and they were in Wizarding London. 

With a serene smile, she followed him as he talked about his research and classes. He didn’t need much encouragement. Her friends would have been shocked at how quiet she was being in the face of a know it all that didn’t actually know it all. It helped her to imagine all the ways Bella would irritate and fuck with Roger as he insisted she call him. It kept a pleasant smile on her face instead of the constipated look she’d probably be sporting otherwise. 

She gave a token effort to discover which of his friends would be joining them and graciously accepted his vague answers. He assured her the restaurant had great drinks that would help loosen his introverted academic friends. If he’d really expected her to believe him, she would have thought he’d at least name someone. 

She thought his ego would have had him bragging about his brilliant friends. Everyone knew she prized intelligence. She couldn’t decide if he underestimated her or actually believed she’d like to go on a date with him. Maybe he simply figured it didn’t matter and the pictures would be worth it.

The restaurant clearly cost quite a good deal money and catered to the higher end of society. Probably hadn’t had a Muggleborn in it before the Second Wizarding War. Definitely not the kind of place academics would meet to discuss theorems of Transfiguration and Charms.

The maitre’d welcomed them in with an impassive face. Quite professional. 

“Have my other guests arrived?” Roger asked, smiling at the man. She nearly rolled her eyes at how transparent he was being. 

“Only the one. Unfortunately, the others have sent their apologies.”

“The one?” he said, startled. “I mean only one showed up?”

“Yes,” the maitre’d said, blankly. “She’s waiting at your table. Shall we?” he said, gesturing into the dimly restaurant. Davies nodded, his face contorted in shock. 

“Well, at least one person managed to make it,” Hermione said, channeling her inner Luna, smiling at him to show she believed his friends had disappointed him. He looked at her mildly bewildered. She continued to smile tranquilly as they followed the maitre’d.

The table he’d reserved sat right out in these open so as they entered the dining room she immediately spotted the head of black curly hair. A few heads turned when they spotted her, but this wasn’t the kind of place where people would approach her. Bellatrix noticed the eyes turning toward the entrance and turned to see what everyone was looking at. 

Hermione’s breath hitched at the sight of her. Gone was the messy professor hair with a quill sticking out of her hair. Her hair fell around her face in careful ringlets and her makeup had been carefully and meticulously applied. She quickly blinked back her reaction.

“Oh, you invited Bella!” she said, turning to him with a beaming smile. “How delightful. I thought it would be difficult to really discuss the spell without her input. It really had been a collaborative effort.”

He stared at her as Bellatrix stood. She half hugged Hermione, kissing her cheek and offered her hand to Davies. He blinked and slowly reached out and shook her hand. 

“Shall we?” Bellatrix gestured to the seats. Davies seemed to gather himself and moved to pull out the chair for Hermione. Behind his back, Bella mouthed ‘limp’ and Hermione had to look away to school her face. This night was going to be a lot more difficult than she thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Watching Bellatrix antagonize someone other than her, shouldn’t have amused her as deeply as it did. She’d been a victim of it after all, but Roger was such a douche and Bella managed to hit him where it hurt time and time again. Davies had worked with Bella for years, but he seemed completely unable to handle her and Hermione was living for it. 

Honestly, she imagined the only reason he hadn’t made up an excuse to leave was because he was waiting for the photographer to get some shots that made it look like Bella wasn’t there. Too bad the photographer was on Bella’s payroll now. 

Their spell had become a joke between them. Especially how they created it. It was useful, but needed a rune intertwined and as much as Hermione hated it, so many wizards and witches couldn’t be bothered. They were thinking about writing an article anyway just for shits and giggles. 

The photographer came in as they were about to finish their meal. Bellatrix gave her the signal they decided to let her know. They both were curious to see how he’d react. He saw the man and btrl, but since she was looking 

“I’m glad we could do this.” Davies reached out and placed his hand on hers and before she could retract, Bellatrix reached out and did the same to her other hand. Davies stuttered for a moment before he removed his hand. Bella didn’t instead she turned her hand and intertwined their fingers. 

“I wholeheartedly agree,” Bella cooed. Hermione’s face felt like it was on fire and she should have been able to keep the blush off her face. She should have known the woman would somehow find a way to embarrass her, but still she didn’t pull away from Bella’s hand hold like she knew she should. Unlike Davies, her hand was warm and dry and well, she liked it. Davies’ eyes were firmly on their hands. He seemed to be drawing conclusions that they hadn’t actually solidified. 

She pulled her hand away from Bella’s, wondering how the bill would be split. At this point, asking for dessert would be tantamount to war and Bella was definitely going to ask for dessert.

Hermione waved the waiter over. Davies took over and tried to pay the bill, the but waiter smiled and said the bill was paid. Bella grinned and Davies grimaced. Hermione just frowned thorough it all.

They split the check.

XXXXXXXXX

The night after her faux date with Davies found Hermione and Bellatrix in Hermione’s rooms again. Luna and Neville had the first rounds of the night and were coming by after. 

“I’ve sent an owl to Ron this afternoon. He has until Monday before I make an official inquiry into his investigation. As Head of the Department of Mysteries, my inquiry would go straight to Kingsley and he would be suspended throughout the investigation.”

“Don’t you think that might be burning your bridges with him?”

“I’ve given him sufficient time. If he comes clean, he can avoid the investigation.”

“Ego doesn’t tend to respond well to deadlines and threats.”

“It could if it protects the reputation. Harry and I are meeting him tomorrow for drinks. I really wished I’d found the teacher before resorting to this. It would have been easier to get him on our side. I know deep down he believes me. Hopefully, he’ll be ready to discuss how we move forward.”

“Want me to come? I bet I can get him to agree real quick and in a hurry.” Hermione laughed. 

“Bella. I don’t want him pissing his pants again.”

Her trademark cackle filled Hermione’s rooms. “I can’t believe he actually told you about that! I didn’t tell a soul.” Hermione laughed with her. 

“He was sure that everyone would know when he went back into the office. Nearly quit. I got him to go back in after I got him to admit what had happened.”

“Again helping him put on his big boy pants.”

“Well, he did need to change his pants after what you did to him.” 

Bella threw back her head and laughed again. Hermione smiled at her fondly, feeling her heart warm. She wanted to kiss her again. 

The feeling left her a bit vulnerable. She coughed. “It’s a step forward,” Hermione said. “I think we need one. Davies will be planning something after yesterday.”

Bellatrix looked thoughtful for a moment. “Did you ever stop to consider that Davies messed with Weasley’s head during their interview?”

“It crossed my mind, but why wouldn’t he pass the blame on to someone else?”

“And have the investigation continue?”

“But he could have fed him the same memories with a different professor.”

“Who? Davies is the same age as you and was in the same year. He’s familiar. He was around during all your adventures. I think Weasley would have been more suspicious of the story if it had been from anyone else.”

“Neville?”

Bella rolled her eyes. “You know as well as I do, he’d never believe that of Neville. A memory like that would feel fake. Besides, Hermione, it would have worked if Minerva hadn’t gotten involved.” 

Similar cases Bella’d investigated had been difficult, but their egos often made them easier to catch. “And he’d want someone to know that he had sex with Samantha. Even if he played if off as a weakness and a mistake, scoring a young girl is still something men like to brag about.”

“And you don’t think Ron simply bought into it? I’m surprised,” Hermione said.

The older woman shrugged. “He may be a prat, but he’s not a bad man. He should have come around by now. Something’s wrong.”

Hermione looked away thinking about it.

“Off topic, but I’m meeting up with Narcissa and Andromeda soon. Would you be interested in joining us? I know Andy would love to see you.”

“And Narcissa?” Hermione asked, coldly.

It wasn’t like she could tell her about Narcissa’s marriage plans. “She’s grown to accept Muggeborns.” Bella couldn’t say her family even if it would help. Hermione just looked so flabbergasted at the idea and she was about to tell her House Back would be hers when the girl rolled over. 

“As weird as it is, Draco implied I’d have his mother’s support.”

“You will.

XXXXXXXXX

George assured her by owl that Ron would come. He’d told her Ron had finally watched the memories. It had taken a lot more effort than George had expected. After he watched them, he’d become withdrawn and moody. George offered to come that night, but Hermione and Harry thought it was best for it to just be the three of them. 

They understood each other in ways that few people could understand. After everything they’d been through, they could tell each other anything. She hoped Ron remembered that much at least. 

After her talk with Bella, she’d floo called Harry and asked him to meet her and Bella early to discuss the possibility of mind magic. Shortly after, he popped in through her Floo. She had some tea and biscuits sent up. 

Bringing in Bella to her meeting with Harry had been a last minute decision. Watching them size each other up, her doubts resurfaced, but then the damn bastards smiled at each other and picked up their tea.

“Potter.”

“Black.”

“Granger,” Hermione said, sarcastically. “Any other Auror pissing contest bullshit we can skip over?” Hermione asked, glaring at them.

Bella gave a short laugh. “We’ve had our pissing contest already. Haven’t we, Potter?” She nudged him with her heeled boot.

The corner of Harry’s lips turned up and Hermione knew he was fighting a full blown grin. “More than enough. Really,” he said, widening his eyes. “I still get the twitches thinking about your training sessions.” 

Hermione cleared her throat and the humor dropped from his face. “To business then?” She gave him a tight smile.

She let Bellatrix explain everything. It felt like it would sound like too much wishful thinking if it came from her. Harry sat back and listened. He’d seen more of Ron by far than she had in recent years and thought it a distinct possibility. From what he told her, Ron had been abnormally obtuse about the situation.

Aurors are put through rigorous training and screened monthly for magical irregularities. Harry and Bella debated how the mind magic could have gotten past the review as Hermione sat back and listened.

When the time came for them to meet with Ron, they left Bella behind at the castle and made their way to the Three Broomsticks. A united front could go either way. Ron could either feel teamed up on and shut down, which isn’t what they wanted or could remember what they all shared. They hoped he’d see they cared about him and weren’t judging him and just wanted to help.

“So, you and Black?”

The winds were whipping through the hills and blowing the misty rain into their face as they walked down the familiar path to Hogsmeade. With a twitch of her wand, she protected them from the rain.

“Maybe,” Hermione said, pulling her hood tighter around her.

Harry bumped her with his shoulder and she laughed. He looked over at her. “I’d never have put you two together, but it makes sense.”

“Luna said something similar.”

“Luna is always right about these things, you know,” he said. They both laughed thinking about all the couples Luna pushed together. “Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised with how much you watched her back when you were at the DMLE.”

Hermione groaned and tilted her head up into the rain. “Did everyone notice? Because Bella definitely did.”

“Bella is it?” Harry laughed. “I think just me and Ron. We know you,” he said, smiling at her. He looked over at her. “That’s why he was such a prat about her. Mostly. He always saw you looking.”

“We weren’t even together at that point.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t about that,” he said. “I kinda understood his jealousy actually.” Hermione raised her eyebrows as she looked over at him. “We’d gotten used to it being just the three of us for so long and then you weren’t looking when we looked at you. Other people existed again even if we were together. It was hard.”

“I know. I do. I had similar problems with you guys, Auror badasses and all.”

“I know,” Harry said. He let out a laugh. “But damn, you were gay for her even back then, weren’t you?”

Hermione fell against him. “Shut up, jerk.”

“Love you, too.”

She’d asked to meet in the village in hopes of reminding Ron of his time at Hogwarts. The sleepy town had less spectators than London on the days the students were all in the castle. Even still, she’d been tempted to ask Rosmerta to take the over whole tavern, but settled for a private room. 

Spotting Ron standing in front of the tavern had her breathing out in relief. Some part of her expected him not to show. He hadn’t seen them and rocked on the soles of feet nervously. She felt Harry tense beside her and start scanning the area looking for threats. The idea that Ron had been influenced by mind magic deeply disturbed him and she knew he felt guilty that he might have missed it. It didn’t stop him from acting like an Auror. It actually made him more on guard. 

When Ron finally saw them, he relaxed a fraction and gave a wave and small smile as he lowered his hood. It made her glad. The dreary weather and their hoods probably gave them the appearance of executioners. She’d picked her lightest colored green cloak, but the dark probably didn’t help. 

As they got closer, Ron’s smile grew larger and more genuine and he opened his arms to them. Hermione quickly stepped into his arms and breathed her childhood friend in. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and hoped he didn’t disappoint them. 

Harry grasped his hand and they pulled each other in for a hug. Ron reached out and pulled Hermione in as well. They pulled back slightly and pressed their foreheads together.

“I’m sorry,” Ron said, squeezing her back.

“We’ll get this figured out,” Hermione murmured. Ron’s arm’s tightened around her.

Ron pulled back. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Ron said, meeting her eyes. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me."

“It’s okay, Ron,” Harry said, patting him on the back.

He sighed. “It’s really not. Something is wrong. I can’t explain why I am acting the way I am and it’s really freaking me out.”

“Let’s get inside and get some privacy,” Hermiome said. Ron nodded and they made their way inside. Rosmerta read their faces easily and grabbed a bottle before she led them up to their room. 

Soft light lit the room she’d arranged for them. One side of the room had a large fireplace surrounded by three large arm chairs while the other had a small table to eat at. Rosmerta made her exit while they removed their cloaks. They immediately dried upon landing on the rack. Handy bit of magic for a tavern. 

Ron grabbed the bottle while Harry snagged the three glasses from the table and brought them over to the fire. A loaded silence filled the room as they all settled in with their drinks. 

Finally Ron exhaled. “It was Roger,” he said, brow furrowed. He clenched his jaw before saying, “I don’t know why it’s been so hard for me to say. He admitted to sleeping with Samantha”

Hermione reached out and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. “Ron. Will you let me see? He’s been using memory charms and is skilled at altering memories. I wouldn’t be surprised if he left a compulsion in your head.”

Ron looked way. “I feel like that’s too easy. I made my choices.”

“Are you sure?” 

Ron looked away and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Did you watch the memories I sent you?”

“Eventually,” he said with a sigh. “After I got your letter, I thought I should see, but I just could’t get myself to do it. Finally, I convinced myself they would prove I was right, but they didn’t.”

“Why didn’t you watch right away?” Harry asked. “The Ron I know would have watched immediately. You areas Auror.”

“Every time I tried I just couldn’t even with George pushing me. It basically required him shoving my head into the Penseive even wanting to see.”

“And you don’t find that odd?” Harry asked. “That’s not you Ron.”

Ron snorted and gave them a self deprecating smile. “Not anymore.” Hermione and Harry smiled as they fell into their memories. “Or so I thought.”

“You can look,” Ron said, tossing back his drink. 

Hermione lowered her glass to the end table. “I have your permission to use magic if needed?”

“Of course, ‘Mione. I trust you with my life.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Just don’t judge me too harshly.” He met her eyes and she appreciated the love and plea.

“You know I’ll always love you even if I see something I shouldn’t.”

He grimaced. “I don’t want to think about what you could see. I trust you. Something is wrong about all of this.”

She squeezed his hand. “That’s a good thing.” She let his hand go and met his eye. “Are you ready?” At his nod, she raised her wand, “Legilimens."

It helped that he’d been trained some in Occulemency and Legilimency. The training helped order the brain in a way that made it easy to either scatter them or show a person what they wanted to see. It was helpful for Aurors to be able put false thoughts and memories to the front.

Ron pushed the day he got the assignment to the front. She pushed through it and watched the reactions of his coworkers. He’d even laughed at one of the many sexist jokes.   
She could feel Ron’s embarrassment at their callous comments and his reaction to them, but it didn’t absolve him. She mentally started planning how to get the DMLE to investigate the men as she moved forward through his memories.

The interviews with family and friends helped her get a gauge on Ron’s feelings about the case even if she didn’t get any new information from the actual words of the interviews. She also pushed in to see him reading the journals. She could tell he had let some of what the men said color his feelings. Not enough to hinder his investigation, but she could feel his doubts. 

So when she got to Davies, she wasn’t surprised to feel his desire to believe the man had no ill intentions. It solved a messy and difficult case that he didn’t have a lot of faith in. The disgust he felt at the story was at least genuine. He hated pretending to be okay with a professor sleeping with a student, but it gave him an out.

The charismatic Professor spun a tale of being seduced by the girl shortly after graduation. He’d been drunk and flattered and it clearly had been a mistake! He didn’t know the girl was unstable. The week after that night, she kept appearing everywhere he went. He finally confronted her and realized that she had built up in her head some kind of relationship with him her last year of school. He insisted he tried to let her down gently and she left. He was just devastated to hear she took her own life. 

The memory gave her the story that Ron bought into. There was more she had to see, but this one was important so she played it back three more times, carefully observing Davies mannerisms.

Shifting through his memories, she found the point she needed to slow it down. Even with a good story, she found signs that Ron wanted to make sure he did his job thoroughly. If the Professor existed, Ron planned to find her, but that’s where it got blurry. She found a fragment that had been missed and buried, but it only showed that Ron thought he might have found the Professor and he set up a meeting. Everything after that had been wiped or altered and suddenly he was speaking to the mother with a report he’d barely remembered writing. Compulsions pushed him away from the idea of the Professor. 

She tried pressing, but the work on his mind was thorough and permanent, unfortunately. She really wanted to know who he pegged as the Professor, but maybe put back to it he could come to the same conclusion as long as his actual work hadn’t been altered. 

They both slumped in their seats as Hermione pulled out of his mind. Harry filled their glasses without a word. They both took a healthy gulp, closing their eyes for a moment. Hermione had made sure Ron could see what she was seeing and knew he needed a minute to process. Harry sought out her eyes and she gave him a slight nod. He exhaled and leaned back. 

Ron looked over at him. “Makes me feel better, too.” He shook his head. “Not really,” he said, finishing his drink. “Shit.” He ran his hand through his hair. “So we think Davies got to me somewhere? Do you think he involved that female Professor?”

Hermione frowned. “How would he have known about her?”

Harry sat forward, “How did Ron pass his exams?”

“A leak in the Ministry?” Hermione said. Both men looked at each other. “After what I saw of them, I don’t trust your men so I wouldn’t be surprised. Who conducted your last exams? It is a St. Mungo’s employee? Isn’t it?”

They both nodded. Ron frowned. “It’s been the same one for awhile. Marian. She’s young. She could have been influenced.”

“I’ve had her, too,” Harry said. “She’s sweet.” He frowned. “She’d be an easy target.” He looked at Ron. “You talk to them more than me, mate. Maybe we can narrow it down. How many knew about the Professor?”

“Shit. You think? I mean they are idiots, but you think they would go that far? If they were under compulsions… it would have to be a bigger conspiracy than we thought.”

“Give me their names.”

“Shit.”


	12. Chapter 12

Hermione made her way back to the castle alone, leaving Ron and Harry alone with the bottle. She wanted to stay with them, but needed to be at the castle. It wasn’t beyond Davies to try something while she was away especially with the noose closing around his neck. Everyone knew that the Golden Trio were meeting in Hogsmeade.

She pulled her hood tight and kept her wand in her hand. She didn’t cast Lumos, preferring to be unseen in the dark. Her Patronus had been sent ahead to alert Bella that she was on her way back. It had been the only way Harry would let her head back alone, and she was to send one to the Three Broomsticks once she’d safely arrived at the castle. 

The lights of the courtyard finally exposed her presence and she drew her wand up, hesitating. It was probably just a student out of bed, but she didn’t feel alone anymore. Two arms wrapped around her. Her instincts took over and she shot a stunner over her shoulder. The arms fell away as the body behind her fell back. She kept her wand steady as she whipped around, only to find Bella on her back. 

She couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out. Of course it was only Bella. This case was making her paranoid. She raised her wand to wake the older woman up, but before she could her intuition had her twisting to the left just in time to avoid the red jet of light that had been aimed at her. Wand raised, she dropped into a defensive stance and faced her attacker.

Whatever she’d expected, it wasn’t a student standing there with his wand pointed at her. The light was behind him so she couldn’t see his face. She kept her wand trained on the boy. Her brain flew through the possible scenarios. Imperio seemed the most likely.

“Lower your wand,” she said. 

Her voice seemed to set him off. He quickly fired off a volley of spells and she danced around them without firing back. It was literally child’s play to fend off his attacks and her mind spun searching for the end game as he exhausted himself. She needed to get him talking and needed to either free Bella or protect her.

With quick, decisive movements, she managed to get the light behind her and finally got a good look at his face. His pimply face took a minute to recognize as he didn’t take Transfiguration, but it clicked when she thought about the students that surrounded Davies. His eyes seemed determined and didn’t have the glaze of an inexperienced Imperius curse. It made her feel sick thinking about the implications of that. She couldn’t even be sure it was Imperius. Could be altered memories. 

“Peter, do you remember me?” she asked, dodging another attack. “Hermione Granger. Gryffindor. Transfiguration.” She kept her feet moving. Taking him down could break the curse, if it was the Imperius he’d be less likely to remember what story he was told. “Why are you attacking me?” She also needed to see his reactions.

“You’d expose me for what I did,” he said, sending another spell her way. 

“What did you do?”

“You know what I did. I hurt Samantha.”

“No, you didn’t,” she said.

“I did.” Hermione searched his face. It was full of sincerity.

“What about the other girls?” she asked, keeping her wand pointed at him.

The boy blinked hard. His wand trembled. “Other girls?”

“Yeah, the other girls.”

“Samantha,” he said, confused.

“Wasn’t the only one,” Hermione said. He faltered. Roger must have thought she’d only known about Samantha. In his distraction, she sent a Renerverate at Bella and a weak silencer. She couldn’t trust the woman to be quiet, especially the way she went down, but she wanted a witness. Peter’s back was to her anyway so he’d miss the fuss. 

When the woman shot up behind him, swearing, Hermione barely withheld her laugh. She had to deal with the boy and was thankful to notice the woman recovered quickly from the indignation of being caught with a stunner to the face.

“I only… Samantha.” He shook his head in confusion. “You want to arrest me for Samantha.”  
She ducked under another spell. “I don’t.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bella catch up to the situation. “You didn’t hurt Samantha or those other girls.”

His face turned red. “WHAT OTHER GIRLS?”

“That’s exactly my point, Peter.” With a quick twist and a wave of her wand, she put him in a full body bind and he fell. “Expelliarmous.” His wand fell into her hand and she knelt beside him. “Peter. Fight it. You know what’s real. You know you would never hurt Samantha.” She stared into his eyes. “Just as you know you didn’t hurt any other girls.”

Bella approached quietly and Hermione looked up at her. “Get Davies now. I think he’s planning a runner and Peter was his half assed distraction. I’m going to send off some Patroni to the proper authorities.”

The ex-Auror nodded and moved to the castle, but hesitated. “You have enough against him now?” 

Hermione sighed. “Bella. Go.”

“I’m going!” she said, raising her hands before hurrying into the castle, wand raised.

Her eyes found the panicked distraught eyes of the young Peter. She raised her wand and said as she waved it, “Accio Marauder’s Map.” 

She exhaled as she summoned up the first happy memory she could think of and refused to think on the fact it involved Bellatrix, and she cast her Patronus over and over.

Messages were sent to Nan at the DoM to send her team of Legilimens and another to the DMLE putting out an APB on Davies in case he escaped. She requested a team of Aurors to Hogwarts ASAP. The boys didn’t need a message. By now they’d be on their way with haste. 

Bringing everyone in like this felt like buying into his plan in some way; giving him his grand show instead of the quiet arrest they’d planned. She couldn’t even be one hundred percent sure the boy had been under the Imperius curse and not just had his memory altered and a compulsion placed on him. Maybe he really thought they only had Samantha or could only prove Samantha and wanted a big arrest only to come out even more of a celebrity.

It depended on how Bellatrix found him, she supposed. She couldn’t decide how intelligent the man really was. Did he expect to get away with it? She hoped Bella was okay. She knew the woman could handle herself, but something felt off and she willed the boys to get there faster so they could join her. She wanted to be in the castle with Bellatrix.

The doors to the castle flung open and Bellatrix strutted out, looking very much like the Auror of old as she dragged the bound Charms Professor behind her. 

“He was cleaning out his office when I found him.” 

Bellatrix must have seen the relief on her face because she immediately scoffed. “Did you really think I couldn’t take down a Charms Professor?” 

An unfortunately familiar ripple went across the man’s face and Hermione furrowed her brows and frowned. “Bella…”

“I do appreciate the concern, but his defense was pathetic. No better than a 6th year.”

“Probably because he is,” Hermione said, gesturing, “in fact a 6th year.”

Bella’s head snapped back to the person in her grip. “Ah, fuck.”

Hermione’s mind raced through every outcome. She heard a whizzing noise and the Marauder’s Map landed in her hand. Thankfully, Bellatrix came out of her shock fast. “I ran into Luna. She’s securing Ravenclaw and has other Professors securing the other houses.” 

“Luna knows to protect Eliza.” Hermione flipped it open searching.

“She does,” Bellatrix said, squeezing her arm.

Hermione swallowed. “She’s too late,” she said, glancing at the bound student. “We have to go in.”

Before she could elaborate, Ron and Harry ran up. They took in the situation in wands drawn. Bella still had the bound student in her grip. Hermione held up the map. “He’s got a hostage. Take the map. When the Aurors arrive, I’ll have them guard the exits. All of them. Either of you have your Protean coin?” It was nearly as good as texting in the magical world so they got in the habit of keeping them close.

Harry dug in his pockets. “Got mine.” 

“Good. Let me know what exit he’s heading toward if you can figure it out. Go. I’ll wait for the reinforcements,” she said, shoving the map into his hands. He passed it to Bellatrix. He trusted her to lead them.

Hermione hated standing guard. She wanted to infiltrate with them, but she knew she was better suited to stay behind directing traffic. The other three had worked together doing this kind of thing professionally. Hell, Bella had trained the boys to do it. They knew how to work together. 

“Good luck,” she murmured, without even getting their okay on her demands. She took Bellatrix’s prisoner. Serious faces looked back at her when she looked at them and she knew they didn’t care. “Save her,” she said, solemnly. They nodded and headed off into the castle with Bella in the lead. Harry passed her the map and let her take charge.

A grumpy looking cat Patronus appeared before her and Nan’s voice reassured her that help was only a few minutes out. The bound student stared at her with a blank look on his face. The other boy, Shales she recalled, just looked confused. Her people would handle them when they arrived. 

She needed Minerva ASAP. The woman had been with Luna on the map attending to the Ravenclaws. She’d just sent her Patronus to the Headmistress explaining the situation when she heard noise in the distance. Wand raised, she took in the approaching group with mild suspicion. They lowered their hoods as they approached and Hermione was glad to see Nan had passed on her request. She wouldn’t have trusted any of the men who knew the Professor that Ron had told her about. 

She quickly filled them in and just as she was going to send them off, her Protean coin warmed in her pocket. Davies had gotten to the Hogsmeade exit and destroyed the entry. They were working to get through it. She sent a team of Aurors to Honeydukes, hoping they’d be on time as others started to arrive. They went to the others. She wasn’t taking any chances and desperately hoped the man wouldn’t try to apparate until he got into Hogsmeade and not from the tunnel. 

Nan arrived with the warrant and a small team from DoM. The woman quickly conjured a table right out there in the middle of the courtyard. Minerva showed up and they quickly got her caught up at their impromptu command center.

XXXXXXX

Surrounded by Aurors and Unspeakables, the Hermione Granger she saw clearly had control of the situation. Watching her run the show made Bella even more gay for her. As an ex-Auror, she’d seen many people in leadership roles in the Ministry that had no idea what they were doing, but she could see that Hermione had the gift. She was a true leader.

Bella was fairly sure that the woman was listening to the people talking to her and at the same time the conversations around her. That was proved when she threw a comment at another group correcting them on a small point. The fucking know it all. Bella smiled. God, she’d love to see her at work in the Department of Mysteries. That’d be hot. 

“Shit,” Bella muttered. The Auror interviewing her looked confused. She shook her head at him and he continued. It wasn’t like she hadn’t said the same shit as him about a million times. She answered with rote answers while her mind raced. 

She knew that she’d been getting closer to Hermione since she found out, but she’d love to see her running her Department. Love, though. Shit. That was something else. She’d always fucked and ducked as Hermione remembered. She hadn’t actually gotten to know someone she wanted to fuck since she was in her early Auror days. Wasn’t worth it with her schedule before or after Hogwarts. It was an occupational hazard. But, working with Granger, she genuinely liked the fucking Unspeakable. They were brilliant together. Together.

Together. The word resonated in her head.

She knew that Hermione would be leaving soon. Her investigation was mostly over. Maybe she’d stay until they caught the Professor or at best until the end of the year which was fast approaching. She’d stay until the end of the year, Bella thought. She wasn’t the type to leave her students after something like this. 

Bella looked back at the magnificent woman, taking in every bit of her. She didn’t want her to go. She wanted her here at Hogwarts, but she could easily see a future Minister of Magic that would actually do something. She would never hold back a bird from flight so she couldn’t ask the same of Hermione. Especially because Hermione would be brilliant as Minister. She would change things. Her accomplishments in office could easily overshadow her status as the brains of the Golden Trio. Bella could see it all easily.

She finished her report. She’d write a more detailed one in the morning, but Minerva needed her to be a Professor. She’d just gotten away from the fray and took a deep breath when a firm hand grabbed her. Her wand pressed into Hermione’s face, before she realized who had grabbed her and she lowered her wand. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled, moving to tuck her wand away, but a hand stopped her. 

“Wand at the ready,” Hermione said. “It’s a good look on you. I like it.”

Bellatrix removed the hand on her arm. “They need you. Why are you chasing after me?”

“They don’t. Everything is handled,” she said, looking her over. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I need to check on the students.”

“You know that’s being handled,” she said, reaching out again and searching her face. “What’s wrong?”

Bellatrix looked away for a moment. She really didn’t know how to handle this. It’s not like she’d had any real feelings for someone in a long time. God, it must be love if she was willing to let her go. Well, she didn’t have to let her go just yet. She moved in closer. 

“Have you ever heard of battle lust?” Hermione’s throat bobbed and she nodded. “Didn’t help watching you being all badass.” She backed Hermione into the wall and pushed herself fully into the woman. The beautiful groan that slipped out of the Unspeakable made her bite back her own. Her lips mouthed up Hermione’s neck as the woman tilted her head to allow her more access. 

“You know I don’t actually believe you,” Hermione said. “Even if I’m not entirely sure I care at the moment.” Bella moved from her neck and seized her lips. She gave in easily, opening her mouth to let Bella deepen it. Their tongues intertwined and Bella wondered how she could ever give this up. She really wasn’t that good of a person. Her hands roved up Hermione’s body, taking in every curve. Her thigh fit so well in between her legs. 

“Bedroom. Please,” Hermione gasped out between kisses. “Please.” She bit down on Bella’s bottom lip and hands were going for her pants.

Bellatrix pushed back. Both of them were panting, heavily. 

“No. We need to stop.”

“What?” she asked, pressing in. “Why?”

Bellatrix gently pushed her back again. “Trust me.” 

“Okay,” Hermione said, voice pinched. Bellatrix didn’t want to look at her to see the look on her face.

“When are you leaving?” Bellatrix asked. 

“I guess tonight,” Hermione said. Bella snorted. “What?” she asked, tilting her head to look at her face. 

Bella shook her head. Looking up at her, she smiled wryly. “Gonna fuck and duck me?”

“Well, I would have left tomorrow if we’d continued what you started,” Hermione snarked back. 

“So much better,” Bella muttered, looking away again.

Hermione’s eyes narrowed. “What is this? Why are you acting like this?”

“Acting like what?” 

“Oh.” Bella looked up at the sound. Hermione had a pensive look on her face. “You do know I am coming back? I’m finishing out the year even if I find the Professor. ”

“Oh.”

“Why are you so surprised? I thought you knew.”

“You never said.” 

“I’m sorry. I should have. I didn’t know you would care. I figured we’d talk at some point, but it just never felt like the right time.” Hermione stepped forward and put her hands on her cheeks. She stroked the strong cheekbones with her thumbs. Bella sighed into the touch.

“I don’t talk about my feelings.”

“But you do have them? Tell me this is something.”

Bella let out a huff and pulled the hands off her face. “You are still going at the end of the year. Why start something that won’t be finished?”

“Do you want to start something?” Hermione asked.

“Why would I when it has an expiration date?”

“Why would it?”

“You are going to be Minister of Magic one day. You could use tonight as jumping board.”

Hermione shook her head. “That’s not what tonight was about and you know it so what is this about? Not interested in dating someone with ambition? Odd for a Slytherin.”

Bellatrix ran a hand over her face. “How would it even work? I would just hurt your chances and I’m here most of the year. We should just make a clean break of it.”

“Then why did you just kiss me within an inch of my life?”

“A last hurrah is a last hurrah,” Bellatrix said.

Hermione groaned and shook her head. “We are just talking around everything. So I am just going to say it. I want to be with you. You are fucking brilliant and I haven’t had as much fun talking to anyone about anything and everything as you.” She sighed. “I’m not the Golden Girl to you. I’m just me and you see me. So stop being a coward.”

Bellatrix leaned back. “You really want to be with me?” 

Hermione took a deep breath. “I do. I really do, you irritating asshole.”

“You think it can work?”

“Do you really think the two greatest witches of their ages can’t figure it out? They say we are brilliant for a reason. Do you really think we can’t do this?”

“You really think we can?”

“Why are you so sure we can’t? Bella, we can do this. Do you really think it’s so stupid?”

“I don’t, but you…”

“Me, what?” Hermione asked.

“You deserve better.”

Hermione leaned back. “WHAT? Are you crazy?

“Don’t tell me you don’t have aspirations of being Minister of Magic someday?”

“I clearly do. What does that matter?"


	13. Chapter 13

Bellatrix sighed. “You aren’t taking in the optics of our relationship.”

“Why do you care so much about the optics? I’m fairly sure even Narcissa would be on board and I know wants me as Minister for some reason.” Hermione said.

“Well yes, but…”

“But your sister who was on the on the wrong side of the war and watched my TORTURE supports us together and for some reason you don’t? Because of optics?”

“I’m old.”

Hermione laughed loudly. “With how wizards and witches age it won’t matter in 20 years and you and I know it.” Her head cocked to the side. “Why fight it now? You’ve been after me for weeks.”

“I’m not someone you should be with.”

“I agree,” Hermione said as Bellatrix’s face crumbled even though she was the one to say it first. Hermione noticed and frowned. “Oh, stop being dramatic, you silly nerf herder and let me finish. Honestly, do you really think I’d care about all that?”

“Nerf herder?” Bellatrix looked confused. “I know you’ve been hanging out with Luna a lot, but Nargle herder would make more sense. Is that what you meant?”

“No.” Hermione threw her hands up. “Oh, for fucks sakes, Purebloods need to get with the times and really Star Wars should have have been a thing in the magical world long ago, but oh no muggle cinema, just a step too far for magical communities.” Bellatrix leaned forward and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. Her DoM would release their work very soon and maybe the Wizarding world would catch up. Merlin, the culture shock. 

She looked up Bellatrix, “The muggles are advancing so fast. They already have better communication devices than we do.”

“They do?” Bella asked, in shock. “Better than owls or Patronus?”

“Better.” Hermione opened her mouth to explain but she stopped and sighed. “I’m getting distracted.” She straightened her head and their eyes met. “Bellatrix, after I find the Professor, I want to see where this is going. You intrigue me and well, I like you, but if you want to just fuck and duck then I can try and be okay with that, but all the reasons you are giving me have nothing to do with what you actually feel. I don’t care about the press. I just want you. You aren’t someone I should be with, but you are the one I want to be with. I accept all the consequences because I like you.”

Bellatrix sighed, but didn’t say anything as she looked away.

Hermione frowned. “You’re acting scared. It’s not like you. Talk to me?”

“I’m not scared.”

“It’s okay if you are,” Hermione said, softly. “I am.”

Bellatrix looked up and the vulnerability in her eyes stopped Hermione short. “Can we finish this another time? It’s been a long night.”

“If that’s what you want.” Hermione said, exhaling softly. “I’ll be gone for a for awhile. Maybe we can try again when I get back.” 

The ex-Auror looked away again. “I… yes.” Hermione reached out and gently turned Bellatrix’s face back to her’s. She leaned in and pressed her lips to the older woman’s in a chaste kiss. She left it at that and headed back to the fray.

XXXXXXXXX

“Reliving your Auror days at Hogwarts was not what I expected when you took this job,” Narcissa said, pinning Bellatrix with her steel blue eyes. 

“Blame Granger,” Bella said, with a sniff as she took a gulp of her Firewhiskey as she looked away. Andromeda snorted over her wine. 

“How’s that going by the way?” Andy asked, swirling her glass around. 

Bella glared. “It’s not important at the moment,” she said, looking down into her glass.

“Bella,” Narcissa said, pointedly. 

“It’s not important,” Bella insisted, without looking up.

“Do not lie to me. To us. Especially not over a mudblood. ” Narcissa said. 

“Muggleborn,” Bellatrix snapped at her. “I can’t believe you are still using that word.” Her eyes found her sisters’.

Narcissa smiled and Andromeda chuckled.

Belllatrx glared more. “”What?” Her eyes darted over to Andromeda.

Andromeda smiled at her, “You’ve never once corrected her before.”

“It’s wasn’t worth the effort.”

“And it is now?” Andromeda asked, swirling her wine around in her glass.

“The war is over.”

“It’s been over for ten years and you haven’t bothered before. Even with me married to Ted.”

Bellatrix sighed. “Well, he was dead.” 

Andromeda rolled her eyes. “Fuck you, Bella. He didn’t die until the second War.”

Narcissa continued to smile slightly as they bickered back and forth.

“Stop smiling, Cissy,” Bella snapped, when she noticed. Narcissa didn’t stop and her lips twitched further up. “Cissy. Stop.”

“You’re in love with her,” Narcissa said, suddenly and without a drip of condescension. 

Bellatrix sputtered. “I don’t…just shut up.”

Andy laughed. “She can’t say it, Cissy.”

“Because it’s true,” Narcissa said, sipping her drink. “She loves the mudblood.” 

“I hate you both,” Bellatrix said, frowning. “And stop with the mudblood talk. You are supposed to be reformed.”

“You don’t hate us,” Narcissa said.

“Can we talk about something other than my love life?” Bella said. 

“We can, but personally I don’t really want to,” Andromeda said, toasting her with her drink. “It’s much more entertaining than thinking about Teddy going off to Hogwarts next year.”

“You know I’ll keep an eye on him.” 

“Did I just not say I’d rather not think on that.”

“Same as my shit with Granger, so can we drop it?”

“We just want you to be happy, Bella,” Narcissa said.

“I am happy.”

“You aren’t, but you could be.”

XXXXXXXX

A couple days had passed since they arrested Roger Davies and Hermione had been busy dealing with the fallout. Davies knew he’d been caught. Just in case his plan failed, the found he’d hired a solicitor to be ready at the Ministry. The Aurors that brought the Professor in immediately ran into the woman. She refused to let them interview the man and insisted the prosecutors be brought in immediately to discuss a deal. 

She insisted he had proof of corruption and abuse in the higher levels of the Wizengamot. Hermione didn’t doubt the claim in the least with how connected the man was, but she wanted Davies locked up forever, regardless if he could take out a few politicians. He admitted in the negotiations that he’d been contracted by numerous members of the government to use his skill with memory charms against enemies and for others like him.

Kingsley wanted to take them all down and take the deal, but when she threatened to leak the deal to the press, he paused. She didn’t really have to say much, just explain that Bellatrix Black had been read in had been enough. He couldn’t have the House Black leaning on him about a predator at Hogwarts especially if Bella somehow found out that it would take out a lot of his rivals. He knew Hermione wanted them out as well and would do her damnest to get the information, but Davies would have to take less and they would force him and his damnable lawyer to accept it.

Unfortunately, veritaserum and legilimency didn’t work as well on the fully aware and Davies proved to be highly skilled mind with mind magic. They were also not admissible in court. Her team told her that he was legit though.

Eventually, Kingsley agreed to nothing short of at the VERY least 10 years imprisonment for Davies and sex offender registry. She hated to resorting to what felt like blackmail, but she was not letting Davies walk.

They would need her and the others in a few weeks, but she’d been cleared to go back to Hogwarts. Her Department would keep an eye on the case for her. She trusted them and they had people in the Aurors office. Bellatrix had been called in to submit her report and give an official interview, but they didn’t have a single minute alone and she was looking forward to seeing the witch.

Before she could go back to Hogwarts, she knew she had to do something whether she wanted to or not. So Hermione arranged a meeting with Samantha Morris’ mother. The woman was quick to agree and she quickly found herself across from her. The woman had been eager to talk to her and Hermione felt like giving the woman some closure mattered.

“Professor McGonagall assured me you were the best, but even my inner eye didn’t show me this outcome,” she said, smiling at her. 

Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes at the woman, but the woman must have caught something in her expression. The woman smiled, condescendingly. 

“Not one for Divination, my dear? I should have known with your profession. My Samantha was the same way. She only continued to take Divination I think to relate to me,” she said, with a small smile that Hermione returned. “She seemed to connect with it more that final year though. It brought us so much closer.” She looked up at Hermione with tears in her eyes. “At least I thought it did. I should have seen what was happening to her.” 

Hermione reached out and put her hands on hers. “You aren’t the only one that thinks they should have seen what was happening, I assure you,” Hermione replied, knowing her words were little comfort to the grieving mother. “The other women are willing to meet you. They feel guilty for not saying anything to anyone. It might help all of you or it might make you all feel worse. I don’t know.”

“I don’t think I’m ready for that yet, but maybe soon,” the woman said, looking away. When she looked at her again the tears were streaming down her face. “Could you tell them that I don’t blame them,” she asked.

Hermione took her hands in hers and squeezed them. “I will. They will understand.”

“Thank you.”

The woman’s words played through her mind the entire way back to Hogwarts. Something was there and she wasn’t sure what. Something she had overlooked during the investigation. 

Then it clicked. Lavender Brown. The Pavarti twins. Trelawney had her groupies just like Davies. Everyone had told her Samantha didn’t care for Divination, but her mother had just changed that narrative. 

Trelawney must be the teacher she went to for help and Hermione had barely even considered her because really what a joke, but the woman had influence over the students that she’d dismissed.

That bug eyed wannabe was exactly the kind of awful that would tell a girl to forget it. If her “sight” hadn’t seen the predator, then it wasn’t real and it wasn’t awful. The girl most likely went to the Divination professor as a surrogate for her mother and been rejected. Her fists clenched at her sides as she made her way into the castle. It’s probably why she didn’t tell her mother about the abuse because she feared the same rejection. 

Her rage and guilt kept her brain from processing much of anything around her. Students parted before her as she stormed through the castle. Having apparently learned her lesson, Bella put herself in front of her. She made to go around her without a thought, but Bella slung her arm out and snagged her around the waist and pulled her down a hallway. 

“The fuck, Granger? And don’t think I don’t see your hand twitching toward your wand. I won’t hesitate to hex you and I am faster than you,” she hissed. She pressed her against a wall and grabbed her face. “Calm down. Breathe.” Hermione blinked and focused on Bellatrix’s breathing, mimicking it. “There you are. Come on.”

Bellatrix led her through the halls and pushed her into a room and into an armchair. After a moment, she returned with two glasses and crouched in front of her. Hermione didn’t take it and Bellatrix put them down on the table beside the chair. 

“What’s going on?” Bella asked, softly as she searched her face.

Her head fell into her hands and let out a soft sob before taking a few deep breaths. “I’m sorry. This case is really fucking with me more than usual. I’m really better about things that just are just murder etc.,” she muttered into her hands. 

Bella’s hand’s grasped hers tightly. “It’s okay.” She slid her arms around the younger woman rather awkwardly which made Hermione smile a little. “It happens. I’ve been there. Trust me. It happens. ” Hermione wiped her eyes and slid off the couch pretty much onto Bellatrix’s lap. 

The older woman shifted and pulled her fully onto her lap. Hermione’s knees fell on either side of the woman’s thighs. Hermione settled with her face buried in her neck and breathed in Bella’s now familiar scent. When she’d gotten here month’s ago, she’d never have expected that the surly DADA professor would be capable of such gentleness. She certainly never expected to find comfort with the woman. 

It didn’t take long for her to gather herself together and she felt the weight settle a little less heavy on her chest. Yes, she missed the Professor, but she did prevent Davies from hurting anyone, hopefully ever again. “This is embarrassing,” she murmured into Bella’s neck.

“It really isn’t.” Bella shook her head. “It’s a lot sometimes. I know. I’ve been there. Ex Auror and all. ”

With a heavy sigh, Hermione leaned back. Bellatrix looked at her with something in her fathomless dark eyes that Hermione couldn’t quite read. It reminded her that they still needed to finish their talk from the night of the arrest. 

She loathed to break the moment, but she needed to get it out. “It was Trelawney,” she said, quietly. “Her mother said she took a special interest in Divination her last year. You how she has fangirls.”

Bellatrix blinked at her and her lips parted slightly. Hermione could see the wheels in her head turning, connecting the same dots as she had earlier. Hands tightened on her robes as Bellatrix found the same rage that had blinded her earlier. She pressed her face into Bella’s chest and tightened her arms around her. “I don’t have any proof, but I think she would crack under questioning.”

“When I get my hands on that horrid, useless fraud, I’m going to hex her into oblivion,” Bellatrix growled into her hair.

“It would probably more appropriate to go see Minerva,” she mumbled into Bella’s chest. 

“And what fun would that be?” Bella asked. Hermione pulled back and Bella grinned down at her. “When have you ever known me to do the appropriate thing?”

“Never.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “Honestly though, who do you think scares her more? You or Minerva?”

Bella snorted. “Fair enough.” Bellatrix took a breath and shouted, “TWINKIE!” Hermione flinched and smacked the older woman.

“Goddamnit Bella. I told you not to do that. My eardrums,” Hermione said, rubbing her ear.

“But it’s so fun making you jump.”

“You are awful.”

“I think you like it,” Bella said, smirking.

The elf popped into the room. Hermione noticed the slight twitch of the elf’s mouth at their position. 

“Get the Headmistress at once.”

“Please,” Hermione chimed in.

Bella rolled her eyes. “Yes, please. Thank you.” She looked at Hermione with an indulgent smile that turned salacious. “Oh, and don’t apparate her here. Tell the old swot to knock.” 

The elf couldn’t hold back her grin as she disappeared with a loud POP. 

As soon as the elf was gone, Hermione looked back at Bella. Her heart sped up at the look on the woman’s face. “I think you need a distraction.’ It was abundantly clear what was on her mind for a distraction and Hermione didn’t mind at all as one hand thread into her hair, pulling her into a heated kiss. The other hand fell to the small of her back and pulled her even more flush against her. 

She moaned at the feel of Bella pressed against her again. Bella used the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Even knowing Minerva would be there any minute, Hermione sucked on Bella’s tongue, pulling a moan from the older woman. She responded with a bite on Hermione’s lower lip before sucking it in between her lips. 

This time felt different than the others. The heat still burned between them just the same, but she could feel this new depth, a new layer to it. She hoped the other woman felt it as well or else their conversation wouldn’t go very well. From the way they’d been interacting lately, she had hope. They would talk eventually, but for now, she fell back as Bella pressed her down into the carpet and she happily snogged the shit out of the older woman until they finally had to pull apart at the knock on the door.

They quickly straightened their clothing. If Minevra noticed their flushed faces, which she, of course did, she politely didn’t mention it. They both knew she’d bring it up at the moment it would be most devastating and neither were really looking forward to it. She gave them an aggrieved wave of her hand she dragged their miserable asses back to her office.

It didn’t take long to tell Minerva of their suspicion, closer to certainty really. Once they explained, it didn’t take long for Minerva to agree with their accusation.

Minerva agreed to confront her the next day under the guise of interviews of the staff. Hermione had planned them anyway. As much upheaval as the school had been put through recently, they all knew that it needed to be addressed.

As they were moving to leave, Minerva said, “Bellatrix, I need a word.” Hermione shot her mentor a look, but was waved away. Bellatrix smiled at her in reassurance and she left with a quick squeeze of Bellatrix’s bicep.

“We’ve know each other most of our lives. We may have been in different houses, but we knew each other well. We faced off against each other on the Quidditch field so many times.”

“As much as I’m enjoying this trip down memory lane, your point?”

“If you do anything to harm that woman, I will destroy you if it’s the last thing I do. I will burn you to the ground and spit on your ashes,” Minerva said, staring her down.

“If I do, then I welcome your hellfire because I will deserve it. Hermione deserves the best. I have no idea why she thinks that means me.” Bellatrix said. “But I’m taking it.”

Minerva’s face softened. “Oh, Bella, you are so much better than you believe. I wish I could make you see that.”

“Then why are you so worried about how I will treat her?” Bellatrix said.

“I don’t want you to run. You can’t get scared. I think she loves you and I worry.”

“I am scared.”

She ducked out of the room only to find Hermione waiting for her.

“You don’t have to tell me what she said, but I figured it would help to have me here. I love her, but she’s intense.”

Bellatrix nodded, thinking over the woman’s words, 

They walked back together. Bella’s hand slid into hers and Hermione held it tight as they walked toward their rooms. She knew, however, they were going to her room together. Bella seemed to just know she didn’t want to be alone and planned to stick close. Hermione looked over at the woman as they reached her door and the DADA Professor met her eyes. After a moment of staring, she brought Hermione’s hand up to her lips and kissed it while keeping eye contact.

“Stop thinking so much. Let’s go inside,” Bella said. Hermione nodded as she took down the wards around her door and let them in. The door swung open and she pulled the woman in by the hand. Hermione fell into a chair and took the older Professor down into the chair with her. 

Soft black curls fell over her face and she heard a groan before the older woman pulled back. The face that looked down at her floored her. She studied every inch of it. “Merlin, you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Hermione said, looking over Bella’s face before meeting the woman’s eyes.

Bellatrix chuckled, before wrapping her arms around Hermione’s neck. She bent in and kissed her neck. “I should have known you would be a charmer.”

“I’m just honest,” Hermione said, pulling back and raising her hand to Bella’s face. Her thumb stroked a beautiful cheekbone. Bellatrix leaned into it before she pulled away. She pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, but pulled away before Hermione could deepen it.

“Hermione,” she said, softly. Hermione moved her hands down and she wrapped her arms around her and she squeezed the woman. Bellatrix tensed.

“Is it time to continue our conversation?” Hermione asked, pulling back.

“I think I love you,” Bellatrix blurted out. Her face immediately flushed.

“You think you love me?” Hermione said and Bellatrix looked away. “That’s okay.” Bella looked up and Hermione closed her eyes and said, “Because, I know I love you.” Hermione glanced down. “Sorry, that’s awkward, but whatever I love you. I’ve spent the last few days working and thinking about it and whatever. I’ve been falling in love with you for a long time,” Hermione rambled.

“You love me?” Bellatrix asked in disbelief. Hermione looked away, but nodded. She missed the flush that hit Bellatrix’s cheeks at the confirmation as she pressed her face against Bella’s chest.

“Hope it’s not a problem,” Hermione said, into Bella’s cleavage.

“It’d be a silly problem to have, when I like it very much.”

Hermione pulled back and looked up with hope and met Bella’s eyes. She reached out slowly. Bellatrix didn’t pull away and so she cupped her cheek. Her heart sped up when Bella leaned into her touch. “Truly?:

Bellatrix’s hand came up and covered hers. “Truly.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is just all smut so if that's not your thing, feel free to skip. Final chapter should be up soon. 
> 
> This one also didn't get beta'd so all mistakes are mine. Hopefully, there aren't too many of them.

“Hermione,” she said, reaching under her chin. She turned her face toward her. “I meant what I said that morning.” Hermione let out a breath. “I could get used to waking up to you every day.” Bellatrix cupped her cheek. “I want to. Truly.”

Without a thought, they leaned in. The kiss felt like life and they fell into each other. After a they sighed into each other. 

After a long moment Hermione pulled back. “Are we doing this? Us? Are you really ready?”

Bellatrix took a deep breath and let it out in harsh exhale. She closed her eyes. “I am. I never expected to be, but yes,” she opened her eyes and Hermione’s radiant smile startled her.  
“Yes.” Her hands reached out and grasped Hermione's hips, “Oh, Merlin, yes.”

“Thank fuck,” Hermione said as she pressed forward and took Bella’s mouth again. Her lips against hers spurred the older woman into action.

Bella quickly moved to open Hermione’s blouse. Even in her haste, she had the reverence of a librarian opening a book that contained all the secrets of the universe. She slid the blouse over Hermione's shoulders. Hermione arched herself forward and let Bella pull the blouse down her arms. She tossed it aside as soon as it was free. Her eyes hungrily took in the swell of her breasts pushing over her lacy white bra. 

Bella’s hands fell to her waist and her thumbs ran up the taut muscles of Hermione’s stomach. “I never really bought into the idea that Unspeakables were simply researchers. It’s nice to know I wasn’t wrong.” Hermione simply smiled and slid her hands under Bella’s skirt, groaning when she found the garters holding up Bella’s silk stockings. Her wandering hands reached around and took a firm hold of Bella’s ass, pulling her firmly into her.

Bella moaned and leaned down bringing their lips together again. Even seeing Hermione’s muscles, it shocked Bellatrix when Hermione used her grip on her ass to hoist her up against her hips and stood. 

Instinctively, her arms wrapped around Hermione’s neck for support as her thighs tightened against Hermione’s hips. Hermione carried the older woman into her bedroom. Instead of just throwing the woman onto the bed, she lowered her gracefully with herself on top. Bellatrix looked up at her with dark eyes and for once they weren’t fathomless. Hermione could see the affection and love. Finesse got tossed out the window as their mouth’s met hungrily.

Bella’s hands moved up to Hermione’s breasts, thumbs rubbing circles through the lace. Hermione shifted on top of her and slid a thigh between her legs. Bella pushed her own up between legs. The dress tangled them a bit. Hermione reached around for the ties of Bella’s corset and groaned. 

“Help me get this off.”

Bella laughed. “Shan’t,” she said, gripping Hermione’s sides. “You are a witch, aren’t you?” 

Hermione’s eyes narrowed and she snagged her wand from under her pillow. With a quick wave, the ties released and then she thought better and with another wave of her wand the woman on top of her was down to her garters and thong. Hermione grinned down at the look on Bella’s face before her eyes fell down to her exposed chest and her mouth fell open.

Bella laughed. “I thought it would take you longer to do that.” 

“Am I the brightest witch or not?”

Bella grinned. “You are the brightest I’ve ever seen.”

“Wow,” she said as she shifted back, taking hold of Bella’s thong, “I love you, but that was bad.” She yanked it down. Bellatrix kicked at her and Hermione simply smiled as she looked down at what she had revealed. “Merlin, you are gorgeous,” Hermione said, looking over the glorious tableau in front of her. 

“Well, get to it. Any longer and I’ll be dead on this bed.”

Before she could get in another glib comment, Hermione took charge, palming Bella’s breasts. She took her nipples between her thumb and the side of her forefingers and rolled them. Bella threw her head back with a heavy moan. Hermione slotted her leg between Bella’s thighs and the woman immediately rocked against it. Hermione leaned forward and wrapped one arm behind the woman pulling her forward into her thigh and closer to her mouth.

Her tongue swirled around Bella’s hard nipple. Bella’s hand wrapped into her hair as she bit down and pulled with her teeth. The hand in her hair tightened and Hermione looked up with a grin. Bella’s leg wrapped around her and flipped her in one a smooth move. Hermione fell back onto the bed with a huff. 

“I’ve changed my mind.” Bella lowered herself on top and Hermione moaned at the skin to skin contact. “This is my show for now, love.” A hand reached behind her, lifting her so deft fingers could unsnap her bra. Bella pulled the bra straps down each shoulder slowly, kissing along the path of each. 

She sat back on Hermione’s lap. “Why are you still wearing pants?” Her fingers undid her the button of her pants and slowly slid the zipper down. 

“Are you a witch or not?” Hermione whined. 

“Sometimes I like to do it the Muggle way,” Bella said with a wink. When she got them over her hips, she buried her head in between her thighs and pressed her face against the lace fabric, breathing in her scent. 

“You smell delicious. I can’t wait to taste.” With a deep sigh, she pulled her face back and dragged the pants the rest of the way down, taking the lace panties down with them. She tossed them aside carelessly before she settled back on top of her, slotting her thigh against the slick heat between Hermione’s legs. 

“Merlin, you are so wet. Were you this wet after the first time we kissed?” Hermione groaned pulling her down into a heated kiss as she pushed her own thigh up against Bella’s thong.

“Wanna know a secret?” Bella whispered into her neck, grinding her thigh into Hermione’s center. “I was,” she husked into Hermione’s ear as she rocked against her thigh. Hermione grabbed her ass and sped up her movements. Bellatrix let her, reveling in the sheer unabashed sexuality of the woman beneath her. It didn’t hurt how fucking fantastic it felt. 

Eventually, she slowed her movements and grinned at Hermione’s whine. “Trying to top from the bottom, are we?” Bella asked, biting her earlobe. “Maybe later, but right now I’m in control. You do what I want,” she hissed, swirling her tongue around her ear. Hermione moaned, squeezing her ass. Bella reached back and slapped her hands. “Do you understand?” Hermione reluctantly slid her hands up to the small of her back, but not before snapping her thong. 

Bella growled and bit into her neck. “Do you understand? Say it.” Her hand slid up Hermione’s thigh. Her fingers teased Hermione’s folds. “Say it.” Her index finger dipped into her wetness. She sat up on her lap and brought the finger up to her lips. Her tongue curled around her finger. “Just as I thought. You are delicious.”

“Fuck.”

“Say it,” Bella demanded with all the arrogance of the pureblood princess she was. She laid her hands flat against Hermione’s abs and dragged them up, palming her breasts.

“Ugh. Fuck you, Bella,” Hermione groaned. “Yes, I understand, you infuriating asshole.” 

“That’s all I needed, love,” she said. Her hand slid back between her legs, quickly finding her clit. She drew tight circles before slipping lower and sliding two fingers inside. Hermione’s head fell back as she let out a needy moan.

“You feel so good. So wet and perfect,” Bella said. Bella leaned down, taking one of Hermione’s nipples between her teeth, as she pumped her fingers into the woman beneath her

“Oh, fuck, Bella. Harder,” Hermione begged.

“You made me wait. Now it’s your turn,” the dark witch said, as she slowed down again, swirling her fingers inside of her. 

“Fuck. You think you were the only one that’s been waiting.” Hermione snapped back, dragging her short nails down Bellatrix’s back. The older woman arched into it with a moan. 

“You play dirty, pet,” Bellatrix said, “But I like it.” Her hand sped up and her palm ground into Hermione’s clit.

“You fucking asshole. Merlin, that feels so good. You fucking asshole. Shit.” Bella curled her fingers, hitting her g spot. “Ohhh fuck.” Hermione nearly blacked out as she fell over the edge. Bella helped her ride it out with shallow thrusts, eagerly watching her face as the waves of pleasure flowed through her.

As she came down, Bellatrix collapsed on top of her and Hermione relished the intimate nature of the skin to skin contact. She’d never felt such an emotional connection while having sex before. Hermione sighed when Bellatrix pulled out her fingers. She turned her head and their lips met sweetly. Her hand brushed unruly curls off Bellatrix’s face. 

The kiss started sweet, but Bellatrix deepened it while Hermione slid her hand down. Bella groaned as Hermione pushed the fabric of her thong aside and slid two fingers inside. 

“I wasn’t finished with you yet,” Bella moaned into her chest. Hermione didn’t even give her an answer as she thrust into her hard. Bella eyes fell closed.

“Planning on falling asleep on me after I fuck you?” Hermione asked, looking down at the Professor. Before Bella could respond, Hermione yanked at the thong tearing it off. She swallowed Bella’s hiss with her mouth easily dominating the woman’s mouth as she entered her with three fingers. 

“Fuck, Granger,” Bella moaned as Hermione released her mouth and shifted down, pulling a nipple between her teeth. Her tongue swirled around the tip and a hand dug into her hair. She used her thigh to strengthen her thrusts as she pumped into the slick heat of the older woman. The sound of Bella’s uninhibited moans had her groaning around the nipple in her mouth. She’d been dreaming of that sound since the first she heard it. 

The hand in her hair pulled her back to Bella’s mouth. They kissed sloppily before neither could keep up the focus needed to kiss properly. Hermione pressed into a sweaty neck, breathing hard and sped up her hand. 

“I’ve wanted you since your Auror days. You were so hot, strutting around like you owned the world. Fuck, you feel so good.” She bit down on the pale neck, adding to the already impressive array of bruises on the glorious expanse of the witch’s neck. “Sometimes when I was staring, I was actually picturing you fucking me on your desk or,” she bit down on her ear, “me eating you out underneath it.” She curled her fingers up. “You were my gay awakening. How does the make you feel? The Golden Girl who just saved the world wanted to be on her knees for you.”

“Fuck,” Bella groaned. Hermione could feel her walls clenching around her fingers.

“I can’t wait to be on my knees for you,” Hermione husked into her ear. “I can’t wait to have your clit under my tongue.” Her words sent Bellatrix over the edge and Hermione reveled in the feel of Bella’s wall rippling around her fingers. Bella’s fingers clawed at her back as she came. Her nails were short, but still did some damage, leaving vicious red lines down her back. Payback for earlier.

“Your shoulders are something else,” Bella murmured, into Hermione’s hair as she came down.

“I work out.”

“So Muggleborn.”

Hermione groaned. “Pureblooded elitist. You like my shoulders.”

Bellatrix trailed her hands over Hermione’s back. “I do. So defined.” She scratched another line across Hermione’s shoulders, enjoying Hermione’s hiss. Her face pressed into Hermione’s neck and she wrapped herself around the woman. Hermione never expected Bellatrix Black to be a cuddler, but she embraced it, burying her face in the dark curly hair of her lover and tightening her arms around her. 

Having the woman she’d desired for years, naked and pressed against her, had her ready again, but she was willing to cuddle. She enjoyed just having the woman in her arms, but she wanted to fuck her again. The wetness she could feel pressed against her thigh from Bellatrix gave her some hope. Her hands played with Bella’s garters. Hips started rocking again. 

“I am not asleep,” Bellatrix said.

Hermione smiled. “I am definitely not asleep.” 

Bellatrix shoved her off to the side before climbing on top of her. She looked down at her. “You are something else.”

“Something else you quite like though,” Hermione sassed back. 

Bella took her lips and conquered them. Their tongues fought and tangled. Bella pulled away and made her way down Hermione’s body. 

“Has anyone ever told you that I like to play with my food before I eat it?” Bella spread her legs. 

“Actually your cousin, Sirius, told me that,” Hermione said, cattily. Bella bit her thigh in response. 

“Did he now?” she asked, glancing up at her. 

“He did.”

She nibbled playfully. “Have I not played with you enough?” 

Hermione smiled down at her. “Not nearly.” Bellatrix’s eyes narrowed and she sucked 

Bella smirked up at her. Her face dropped and she took in the woman before her. “I’ve wanted this for such a long time.” Her nose pressed against her clit. Her tongue pushed inside her and swirled around before she moved up to her clit and her hand took her place. She slowly entered into her with two fingers as her other arm held her stable and her mouth took her clit. 

Hermione rocked into her face and fingers at the light shallow strokes. ”Merlin, you are a tease.” 

“Oh, did you want something?” Bella asked, looking up impishly at her.

Hermione kicked her back. “Asshole. Fuck me.” 

“Is that all?” she asked, swirling her tongue lightly around her clit . 

Hermione grabbed her hair and pulled her head back so she could look her in the eyes. “Yes, now fucking do it,” she growled out, loosening her hold on the curly locks, but not releasing the woman completely. 

Bella grinned up at her. “You are so bossy.” She leaned down, tongue tracing tight circles. “You are lucky I like it,” Bella said, thrusting in with two fingers as she sucked on Hermione’s clit.

“Oh, fuck!” Hermione shouted. Her hips bucked, barely restrained by Bellatrix’s arm holding her steady. Bella pumped into her fast and hard, before slowing down and instead of thrusting she moved her fingers in a circle inside her. Hermione’s moans went from frantic to deep and guttural and Bellatrix loved every breath of it. 

“You like it like this, don’t you,” Bella said.

Hermione moaned. “Yes. Yes. Oh, fuck that feels so good. Don’t stop. Please,” Hermione begged. The tip of her tongue flicked the bud and her hand continued to work her with quick circles, hitting her walls in just the right ways as her tongue greedily lapped at her clit.

Bella brought her to the edge, but suddenly slowed right before the edge, curling her fingers inside and flicking her tongue gently against her. She looked up at the woman. “I can’t decide what I like better, pet. You begging or you demanding.” 

“Is that why you keep making me do both?” Hermione groaned, digging her heels into Bellatrix’s back. “Do I need to use my wand? Because I will.” Bellatrix let out a loud cackle and as much as Hermione loved hearing it, she still reached for her wand. Bellatrix Black may be the sexiest woman she ever seen, but she was still a fucking asshole. A firm hand pinned her wrist to the bed just as she took hold of her wand and with a quick twist she dropped it. 

Bellatrix’s eyes were heated when she met them. She gulped and before she could say anything, Bella thrust into her hard with three fingers and her head fell back as a deep moan tore out of her throat. Bella furiously pumped into her and Hermione’s hips rose up to each thrust. Hermione chanted her name as she was driven over the edge. 

The older professor kissed her way back up her body and collapsed on top of her, face buried in her neck, pressing soft kisses. Hermione wrapped her arms around her, breathing her in. 

“I think I prefer you chanting my name and pulsing around my fingers best,” Bella purred. 

“You are an asshole and I fully plan on paying you back for that,” Hermione said, “as soon as I can move again. That is if you can handle it. You seem tired.” Bella’s laugh into her neck brought a lazy smile onto Hermione’s face. 

“And you seem well fucked.”

Hermione hummed. “But it’s your turn again.” 

“Are we taking turns?”

“We don’t have to take turns, but I really want to fuck you again.”

“I think you just don’t want to fall behind me because you are a competitive little, oohhh.” Bella groaned as Hermione’s fingers sunk into her. 

Hermione smirked. “I am competitive, but I’ve been waiting to have you like this for so long. Shall I tell you about it?” Hermione rolled them on to their sides. She nudged Bellatrix’s leg up so she had access. “I wondered what you thought about,” she asked, slowly pumping into her. “Did you imagine me bent over your desk with my skirt hiked up wet and ready for you like I did? Some nights, I preferred imagining you bent over your desk with my fingers buried in you just like this.” 

Hermione pushed her over and positioned herself on top of her dark haired lover. Her fingers continued their leisurely thrusts. She pushed herself up and gazed down at the woman beneath her. Black curls created a dark halo around her head, Hermione pressed into her and kissed her throat before sliding down nipping and kissing her way down her body. 

“After those lessons together? You should have held me back after. Honesty, you shouldn’t have, but fuck, I was aching for you after every lesson. Watching you do magic is a serious aphrodisiac. The way you move is just sex. I got myself off plenty of times fantasizing about you this school year,” she said. She lowered her head breathing in her scent. Her hand reached around and spread her labia. Hermione leaned back and took in the sight of the glistening pink flesh. “You are so beautiful. I’m long overdue for a taste.” 

She leaned in and her tongue darted out, taking her first taste. “Delicious.” Hermione pressed circles around her clit as she slowly pushed two fingers in. “I could do this all night. I hope you are up for it,” she said, with an evil little smile.

"Bring it on," Bella moaned as Hermione leaned in again, finally focusing her attention on her clit. “Fuck, I love you."

Hermione paused for a second. "Don't stop!" Bella said, pushing at her head. Hermione laughed.

"I love you, too, you needy little shit," Hermione said, delving back in with gusto, much to her Bella's delight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty active on the Bellamione Cult Discord. Hit me up if you want a link.


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